First Installment Property Taxes Due December 10 — Oh, Boy, Prices Climb Again!

Sticker shock is alive and well in Del Norte County — and across the Golden State. What a whopper! All property owners will be paying a 2% annual increase this year due to inflation. Ugh!

If you pay after the December 10 postmark, you’ll be hit with a 10% late penalty — and there are no waivers.

So, where do your property taxes actually go? The collected revenues remain in Del Norte’s General Fund, which totals $4.6 million for 2025–2026. Bonds account for about 3.48% of that total.

Del Norte County retains just 1.9% — or $1.90 of every $100 collected in property taxes. After paying out funds for departments including the Sheriff’s Office, Jail, Probation, Roads, Agriculture, Community Development, Fire, and others, the remainder stays in the General Fund.

Complicated? Absolutely. You’d need a magnifying glass (or maybe a magician) to trace exactly where every penny ends up.

Here’s what really matters: California ranks between the 3rd and 5th highest-taxed states in the country. More people, more services, more taxes — and somehow, never enough money left over.

👉 Read more about how California stacks up — and why Del Norte County feels the crunch hardest — in our Patriot Member Portal at eyeondelnorte.com.