Town of Drummond presses county for aggressive tax-collection plan as sewer financing looms

Officials from the Town of Drummond told the Madison County commissioners that they need the county to accelerate collection of long-standing delinquent property taxes so the town can meet lender requirements for a large wastewater upgrade. A town representative said the town faces a major rate increase to cover a $1.7 million loan portion for a $9.5 million wastewater project and asked the county for clear evidence the county is pursuing delinquent property taxes. The town indicated some purchasers had not seen liens during title searches and asked how the county’s delinquent-tax list and lien process are being applied to protect bond counsel and lenders. County treasurer’s office staff (represented by Sarah Grant and county staff) reported recent activity: the treasurer’s office has sent statutory notices, is placing required information in public notices, and has begun targeted collection activity. The treasurer told the board that since a multi-year notice went out the office had recovered more than $60,000 in the prior week, mostly for 2024 delinquencies. Staff explained that many taxpayers must first clear current-year delinquencies before they can pay older balances, and that statutory timelines (different for personal property vs. real property) must be followed before the county can move to tax assignment, tax sale or sheriff sale. Commissioners and staff agreed to a practical next step: staff will prepare separate lists of older, long-term real-property delinquencies and of personal-property delinquencies that appear collectible, together with the statutory timelines that apply to each account. Staff agreed to return next week with that packet and to provide weekly updates on monies collected and the status of cases being prepared for enforcement. The board instructed staff to prioritize cases more than several years old where the tax lien appears enforceable and to document the status of lien filings so municipalities and lenders can track recovery efforts. Ending: County staff will return with two focused lists (real-property older delinquencies; personal-property cases) and a proposed enforcement timetable. The county and town agreed that clearer tracking of lien filings and a weekly collection report will help lenders and bond counsel assess project security.