The Hall County Board of Commissioners will begin looking again this year - possibly as early as next week - at collecting property tax payments in two installments.

"The people have spoken and I will vote to bring it up, and we will set up some timetables for twice-a-year tax payments," Chairman Tom Oliver said Wednesday.

In a nonbinding referendum as part of Tuesday's election, 22,526 voters, or 53 percent, said they favored the bill split, with 19,744 voters, or 47 percent, casting no votes.

This was the second time the question appeared on the ballot for Hall County voters. In November 2008, nearly 70 percent of voters said they would prefer to pay taxes twice a year.

Late last year, the commission was poised to approve Oct. 1 and Dec. 1 due dates when they learned state law would require a 5 percent penalty if the first installment is not paid by the Oct. 1 due date.

The state penalty, not explained on the ballot the first time, was included in the language of this year's ballot question.

"I was against it then and I am still against it," Oliver said. "I think there's going to be a fair amount of confusion. ... I think the 5 percent penalty will be hard on some people."

Also, "the (county's) cost is going to be $45,000 to $50,000 to do this," Oliver said.

"I just think we'll have to give this a shot and see how it works, and maybe we'll have the flexibility - if we don't see that it works well after a year or so - to go back to the other way."

Supporters have said that being able to make two smaller payments is helpful, especially as the Dec. 1 due date is so close to Christmas.

The issue was brought up in June 2008 when longtime Hall County resident Louie Butterworth informed the commission of an old law mandating the county to send out biannual tax bills.

"They have not obeyed (the law), so it's time they get back and (obey) the laws or get off from up there and go somewhere else," Butterworth said Wednesday.

County Attorney Bill Blalock has said residents voted in 1974 on a constitutional amendment that would authorize Hall County to divide taxes into two annual payments.

In the same year, the Georgia legislature passed a statewide act that granted counties the ability to collect taxes either once or twice a year. In 1975, the same legislature passed a local act directing Hall County to collect taxes twice a year, Blalock said.

Staff writer Melissa Weinman contributed to this report.