Marathon County ramps up outreach after mailing more than 1,200 past‑due tax notices

Marathon County officials told the Administration Committee they mailed more than 1,200 past‑due tax notices in a recent outreach effort and have seen a measurable return in payments.

County Administrator Lance Leonard said staff sent the notices on bright yellow paper with red “past due” envelopes and that the county saw what he called a “positive response” in payments and reductions in outstanding tax certificates. The county’s memo and follow‑up discussion with treasurer’s staff show the outreach reduced the number of outstanding tax certificates and produced roughly $1.4 million in recovered taxes and assessments across multiple years, county staff said.

The outreach targeted a broad set of delinquencies. Treasurer’s staff identified a subgroup of 131 parcels for a second, separate handling process; those 131 parcels account for about $1.2 million in overdue real‑estate taxes, county staff said. Separately, staff identified about 85–98 so‑called sliver parcels — parcels where the county address was used historically because a deliverable address was not known — with modest combined tax liability (roughly $7,050 in the county’s working spreadsheet). Leonard asked the committee whether to prioritize higher‑dollar accounts first.

Treasurer’s staff reported 52 mailed notices were returned as undeliverable. The county plans to run additional reports, work with municipal clerks and treasurers who received parcel‑level counterbook reports, and try first‑class mail (which will forward to updated addresses) for parcels with returned certified mail. Several town officials have offered to assist, and county staff said municipalities have already begun contacting residents after receiving municipality‑specific counterbooks.

Committee members supported making the mail campaign recurring. Staff recommended at least two outreach mailings annually — one in the spring (after March notices) and a second later in the summer — and proposed tailoring mailings to exclude current‑year installment notices so as not to confuse taxpayers paying on an installment schedule. The treasurer’s office will draft a calendar for the committee and return with an updated outreach schedule, a revised letter template and a report on how much of the recent revenue can be attributed to the mailing.

County staff and committee members also discussed next steps for the subset of undeliverable and probate‑ or bankruptcy‑impacted parcels. Legal counsel confirmed bankruptcy generally delays collection but does not automatically discharge municipal tax liabilities; probate may present an opportunity to assert a claim against an estate or alert heirs to outstanding tax debts. The committee directed staff to include probate and bankruptcy status in the follow‑up list for the 131 parcels.

Committee members asked for a short‑term report that breaks down: how many of the 131 had undeliverable mail; how many have been paid in full (Connie reported 52 paid in full as of the update); and the dollars recovered attributable to the outreach. Treasury staff said they will produce a more complete accounting in February.

The committee discussed using municipal clerks and treasurers to help identify owners and to reach people locally. County staff said they would combine the information developed for municipalities with an updated outreach calendar and bring a draft plan back to the committee for approval.

Committee members emphasized prioritizing higher‑dollar accounts for follow up while continuing recurring outreach for long‑standing delinquencies.