The deadline for Clark County property owners to pay first-half real estate taxes is Friday.

Individual bills were mailed to property owners Jan. 7 and must be paid by the Feb. 8 deadline or a 5 percent penalty will be assessed. After Feb. 20 and a 10 percent penalty will be added, Clark County Treasurer Stephen Metzger said.

Property tax delinquencies in Clark County reached $15.5 million in 2011, up from $14.7 million in 2010, according to previous reports from the treasurer’s office.

Metzger said he expect the delinquent property taxes owed will drop slightly in 2012 and added that the county has collected an average of more than $5.5 million in delinquent property taxes annually for the past five years.

“You have to give credit to the taxpayers … They work hard to get those delinquent taxes paid, and we offer payment plans to do that, which is probably the biggest help,” Metzger said.

The Clark County Treasurer’s Office offers property owners to pay tax bills on installment plans for up to five years and also has a monthly pre-paid program.

Metzger said about 2,000 taxpayers currently use the program, which has been available since 1992.

“That helps them by not getting into delinquency. Rather than one big bill at a time, twice a year, they can manage it on a month to month basis,” Metzger.

Property owners in Montgomery County owe more than $100 million in delinquent real estate taxes, according to the Dayton Daily News. In Greene County, property tax delinquencies total more than $8.2 million.

Miami County property owners have about $6 million in back tacks and in Warren County, the figure is under $20 million, according to the report.

Metzger said property tax collections have been hit as a result of the economy, but delinquent tax collection has been steady locally.

“We have good taxpayers in Clark County. They want to pay their taxes,” he said.