INDIANAPOLIS -- Marion County homeowners will have less than the usual 30 days to pay their property tax bills this year, which after a series of delays will be due the week before Christmas.

Treasurer Mike Rodman said all bills will be in the mail by the day before Thanksgiving and will be due on Dec. 16, 6News' Norman Cox reported.

"Part of the reason (for the earlier due date) is that units of government have burned through their reserves," Rodman said. "They are borrowing money and, in some cases, are having trouble borrowing money from banks and it is important that we collect some dollars, because we haven't collected any dollars for 2008."

The bills mailed next week will not be homeowners' final bills, but will reflect a portion of the total amount owed, minus an estimate of the tax relief approved by the last Legislature, Rodman said.

The second half of the bills will likely not be mailed until well into 2009, Rodman said, possibly by the beginning of March.

Late work from township assessors and glitches with the county's new computer system are blamed for delaying the bills.