Treasurer reports high real-estate tax collection rate; personal property and DMV stop updates provided

Miss Vicky Phelps, the Appomattox County treasurer, updated the board on 2024 tax-collection activity and related revenue matters.

Phelps reported the county had collected approximately 96% of real-estate taxes and about 87% of personal-property taxes for 2024; she said public-service taxes are fully collected for the year. She described the DMV-stop process used for unpaid personal-property taxes—when applied, taxpayers cannot obtain vehicle tags until debts are cleared and counties may require cash or money order to lift a stop.

Phelps said delinquent tax tickets were mailed on Jan. 13 and that staff were processing a large volume of returned mail (about 1,200 tax tickets required address research) and responding to increased in-person payments. She reported 536 abatements processed for 2024, 344 supplemental tax tickets (for properties or vehicles discovered after initial billing), and 21 new bankruptcies this year, bringing the county to about 83 active bankruptcies.

On investments, Phelps said the county’s Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP) placement made in July 2023 has generated what she described as "over $1,500,000" in revenue (she clarified this as LGIP earnings reported to date). She said staff are working with external accountants and other treasurers to reconcile accounts with the county’s depository bank.

Board members asked clarifying questions about the LGIP figure and collection timing. The treasurer said staff will continue outreach to delinquent accounts and pursue available remedies such as warrants in debt and referrals to Sands Anderson for long-term delinquent real-estate collection and potential auction.

This item was informational; no board action was required.