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Local businessman urges rebid after treasurer negotiates sale of tax liens to out-of-state buyer
Summary
At the commissioners meeting a local businessman, Jim Kratzenberg, criticized the county treasurer's negotiated sale of bulk tax liens to a Nebraska company without public bidding, citing statutory sections and urging transparency; County Treasurer Baker defended the decision as within her discretion and noted practical considerations.
Jim Kratzenberg, a Lawrence County businessman, told the Board of Commissioners that a multimillion-dollar contract to sell delinquent tax certificates had been awarded to an out-of-state buyer without public bidding and called for a rebid.
Kratzenberg said he submitted a proposal to the treasurer in December and expected a public discussion or bid process. He cited two statutory references during his remarks — “307.09” and “57 21 33” — and said the county has more than $5,000,000 in delinquent property taxes, naming Southpointe and Chesapeake as each “over a million dollars.” Kratzenberg said the new buyer is from Nebraska and that the negotiated sale carried a 17 percent rate; he stated his own proposed rate would have been 16.5 percent. “Why do we have to send our tax dollars to Nebraska?” Kratzenberg asked, adding that local businesses and lawyers would benefit if the work remained in Lawrence County.
County Treasurer Baker responded at the meeting, saying she continued with the company that had worked with the previous treasurer to purchase liens in bulk and defended the decision as a discretionary, negotiated sale. “I did continue with the company that the previous treasurer had worked with to sell negotiated tax liens. They do buy in bulk,” the treasurer said. She also stated, as discussed in the meeting, that tax certificates are treated as uncollected debts rather than a county asset under the cited code section in her view.
Commissioners acknowledged the concern and suggested follow-up. One commissioner said they could involve the county prosecutor — mentioning Brigham by name — to review statutory and legal issues and to “put everybody's mind at ease.” The board indicated staff and elected offices would follow up and that Kratzenberg and county staff could meet separately to discuss details.
Why it matters: Kratzenberg framed the issue as both a transparency and local economic issue — he argued public bidding would keep revenue and jobs in the county and provide an opportunity for local bidders. The treasurer framed the decision as an administrative discretion to ensure collection of delinquent taxes and noted operational factors such as customer service and the buyer’s ability to administer payment plans.
What the record shows: The transcript records the public complaint, the treasurer's defense that negotiated bulk sales are within her discretion, and commissioners' offers to follow up and request legal review. No formal board action or vote on the tax-lien contract was recorded during the meeting.
Next steps reported in the meeting: commissioners said they would coordinate follow-up through their office, potentially request input from the prosecutor's office, and arrange further conversation between Kratzenberg and the treasurer.
