We hope Martin County residents took note this week of a significant message from County Assessor Mike Sheplee. He is in the process of mailing out 4,100 letters to every county residential taxpayer who does not have a homestead application on file. Those who do not file an application will see an effect on their 2020 property taxes.

The problem stems from a misunderstanding of how long homestead applications were to be saved. Since they were not, the county is missing the 4,100 applications it needs.

Additionally, there are more requirements for the applications, including the Social Security numbers of those who own and occupy properties.

Sheplee offered something in the way of an apology, saying he does not want to put the county’s residents through the process. But he, and they, have no choice.

The cost to the county for the mailing is minimal, but property owners could face tax implications if they do not return the form.

Given that there is a new requirement for Social Security numbers as well, we hope the county is working to ensure the security of that information. We hear about data breaches all the time. No one wants to see that happen here.