Residents report problems with outsourced tax collector; New Carlisle staff to monitor and consider alternatives

Several council members and residents told the New Carlisle City Council on June 2 that they continue to receive complaints about the third-party income tax collector the city uses, CCA, citing rudeness, missed receipts and slow responses.

Finance Director Colleen Harris outlined the city’s rationale for outsourcing, saying it saves the city money compared with in-house staffing and that the city still provides in-person assistance: “We encourage anybody that needs assistance with their tax to come into our office ... we can help them fill out their forms.” She also said the city’s tax administrator, Colleen Ray, has worked with CCA to resolve individual cases.

Council members and residents described instances where residents received notices despite providing certified-mail receipts and reported rude phone interactions. Council directed staff to track complaints so the city can better document recurring issues and escalate them with the vendor. Council asked staff to solicit an updated quote from at least one alternative vendor identified in the meeting (named in the discussion as “Rita”), noting that alternatives have previously been more expensive.

Finance staff added that CCA collected $290,518.51 in monthly income taxes the most recent month reported and that year-to-date tax collection was $983,467.17. Council members said they will forward constituent complaints to staff so the administration can aggregate examples and, if necessary, raise the issue with vendor management or seek competitive proposals following the next tax season.