Kitsap County Treasurer, Barbara Stephenson recently announced that foreclosure sale and tax title properties are now accessible through the County web site (www.kitsapgov.com/treas). Although bidders must be present at the February 4 (9 a.m.) sale to bid, to be held at the Givens Center in Port Orchard, advance web access to property information marks another new technology tool for the Treasurer’s Office to boost service offerings to the community.
   “Over the last few years, we have introduced the Land Information System and online payment options,” said Stephenson. “This rollout marks another first for Kitsap County. Using technology, we’ve made access to information more convenient as a service to our citizen’s busy lifestyles.”
   Immediately following the tax foreclosure sale, more than 20 tax title properties are being offered by auction. Tax Title properties are sites that the county had previously attempted to sell for delinquent taxes, but no one bid on the property so the site defaulted to county ownership. This sale marks the second batch of properties the Treasurer’s Office has proactively researched and sold to get them back on the tax roll. The first such tax title sale, earlier this year, resulted in the sale of all 30 properties.
   “I feel a responsibility to see that properties surplus to government needs are available to the public for private use. Having the complete information, including a map of sites, on the internet gives citizen a better idea of what is available,” explained Stephenson. “I’ve found that citizens adjacent to surplus lands are happy to have the opportunity to buy them; sometimes at a great bargain!”
   Foreclosure information on the web provides details about the sale and links to property information available through the LIS system at www.kitsapgov.com/treas.