City of Union, Kentucky

Welcome to Union, Kentucky
Proud Past, Promising Future!

Frequently Asked Questions

1.	Where do I register to vote?
	Voter registration is handled in Kentucky by each County Clerk's office. In Boone County, full information on registering to vote can be found at the Boone County Clerk's website.

2.	Where is the City Hall and what are the office hours?
	The Union City Building is located at 1843 Mt. Zion Road. The City Building is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal and State Holidays.

3.	Who do I contact to arrange public utility services?
	Telephone service - Cincinnati Bell at (513) 565-2210 or INSIGHT Communications at (888) 735-0300. Water and sewer service - Boone County Water District at (859) 586-6155. Electrical service - Duke Power/Union Light Heat & Power at (513) 421-9500 or 1-800-544-6900. Cable Television - INSIGHT Communications at (888) 735-0300.

4.	Who do I contact to find out about garbage and recycling pick-up?
	Trash collection is provided to residents by the city. Collection is on Thursday morning of each week, and receptacles should be put at the street curbside on Wednesday night. Currently, the city does not offer city-wide recycling, but it is available on a subscription basis through our contractor, Rumpke of Kentucky at 1-877-786-7537.

5.	Why do I have to pay Property Taxes to both the City and the County?
	If your property is inside the City limits, it will receive services from the City, the most visible of which are Trash Collection, Street/Road repair, Street Lighting, and Snow Removal. However, the property will also receive services from Boone County, such as operation of County Parks.

6.	Can I make out a single check for both my City and County Property Taxes?
	No, they must be paid separately. The City bill payment is mailed to the City Treasurer, City of Union, P.O. Box 53, Union, KY 41091-0053 (or paid in person at the City Building). The County bill payment is mailed to the Boone County Sheriff at the address shown on the bill.

My mortgage company is supposed to pay my Property Taxes. Why did I receive the City Property Tax Bill?

In order for a mortgage company to pay your taxes, they must request bills or tax information each year. The property owner will also receive a copy of the City bill. This way, the city provides property owners with a record for their income taxes, and documentation that they can use to query their mortgage holder; or to directly notify any new mortgage company if their loan was refinanced during the year; or if the wrong mortgage company requested their bill.

8.	I sold my property during the year and still received a City Property Tax bill. What should I do?
	Please send the bill to the new owner if you know them, or contact the City Treasurer's office at (859) 384-1511 and give us as much information as you can regarding the new owner. The City tries to keep up with property transactions throughout the year in order to mail the bill to the new owner. However, transactions that occur after our cut off date are not recorded until the following year.

9.	Why do I have to pay a late fee if I never received a Property Tax Bill?
	State Statutes place the burden to pay property taxes on the property owner on or before the due date regardless of whether they receive a bill or not. If you own property in the City, and do not receive a bill by November 1 each year, please contact the City Treasurer at (859) 384-1511 and we will send you a new one.

10.	When are property taxes due?
	All bills are due in full on or before December 31st. of each year.

11.	Do I receive a discount if I pay my City Property Taxes early?
	Yes, if paid on or before November 30th. of the tax year, the discount is 2%.

12.	Do I have to pay a penalty if I pay my City Property Taxes late?
	Yes, if paid on or after January 1st of the year following the tax year, the penalty is 10%, with an additional penalty of 1% of the total unpaid balance added each month.

13.	What action does the City take if Property Tax Bills remain unpaid?
	The City will send out two reminder notices, then turn the information over to the City Attorney. The City Attorney will send out an additional reminder. If Property Tax Bills remain unpaid after these notices are sent, a lien for the amount of the taxes due plus Attorney fees is filed against the property. Penalty fees continue to accrue until the Property Taxes are paid in full.

14.

What is the "Homestead" Exemption on Property Taxes?

The homestead exemption is a reduction in the assessed valuation of your property for persons either over 65 years of age or who are classified as permanently disabled.

The maximum homestead exemption on real estate owned by qualified persons has been set at $31,400 for the 2007 and 2008 tax periods. The 2007-2008 exemption reflects a $2,000 increase over the 2005-2006 exemption of $29,400.

The amount of the homestead exemption is adjusted every two years in accordance with KRS 132.810 to compensate for changes in the purchasing power of the dollar. Property owners who do not qualify for the exemption will absorb this amount through the compensating property tax rate process.

To qualify for the homestead exemption, a person must be at least 65 years old during the tax period or have been classified as totally disabled by any public or private retirement system. The property must also be owned, occupied and maintained by the taxpayer as a personal residence on the January 1 assessment date. Disabled persons less than 65 years of age must make an application on an annual basis.

15.	Questions and/or disputes on the assessed value of your property should be addressed to the Property Valuation Administrator at the Boone County office of the PVA: (859) 334-2181.

City of Union

Phone: (859) 384-1511

Fax: (859) 384-7760

1843 Mt. Zion Road, PO Box 53
Union, KY 41091