VALPARAISO | In keeping with an ongoing trend, Porter County property tax bills have been delayed yet again.

At an emergency meeting Monday night, county officials discussed the delay -- giving another hopeful timeline of when the bills will be ready and mailed.

The newest estimation has the bills being calculated this weekend and sent out six to 10 days later, with a due date just four days before Christmas.

But officials warned that the Dec. 21 due date is by no means final. Because of all the problems, any estimation at this point is just guesswork.

The most recent delay is owed to an incomplete abstract, which needs to be approved by the state before bills can be sent out. County Auditor Jim Kopp said his office has been having trouble with data related to the county's tax increment financing districts.

Kopp and County Treasurer James Murphy were under the gun Monday, fielding questions from a frustrated County Council.

"Between us and the state of Indiana, I've had it," Councilman William Carmichael said. "This is just ridiculous."

Hoping to get the ball moving, Councilman Bob Poparad asked if the county had the capability to immediately send homeowners a bill for 80 percent of what their tax bill was last year. Any differences between last year's bill and this year's bill would be taken care of next year.

Although some officials at the meeting said it was possible, County Council Attorney David Hollenbeck said they would need state approval to make the move.

"To my knowledge, the state hasn't given any county in Indiana permission for a provisional," Hollenbeck said.

Other recommendations by council members, such as hiring an outside contractor and working longer hours, also were fruitless.

"My office is already working 11 hour days," Kopp said.

The ongoing situation has caused frustration not just with homeowners, who will have to pay a year's worth of property taxes at one time, but also with city and town officials, who have been forced to borrow loans to keep themselves running.

Valparaiso Clerk-Treasurer Sharon Swihart told the council she's pulled out all the stops, borrowing money from every place she could.

"This is an urgent matter," Swihart said. "These are firefighters' paychecks; these are police officers' paychecks; this is garbage pickup. These are the services vital to the city of Valparaiso."

Council members said they will take up the issue and make any subsequent decisions at the year-end meeting Monday.