Lawrence County treasurer reports 93% property tax collection for 2024

At the Lawrence County Board of Commissioners meeting on Jan. 14, 2025, County Treasurer Rich Ramon reported that the county collected about 93% of the potential property tax for 2024.

Ramon said the county mailed 51,861 tax bills and collected taxes on 46,183 parcels, leaving 4,767 unpaid parcels that the tax claim office has referred for collection work. He told commissioners the unpaid parcels equal about $1.7 million in receivables. "I'm happy to say that we've collected 93% of that potential," Ramon said.

The report matters because property tax collections fund county services and appear to have tracked near recent historical averages. Ramon said the county typically collects between 92% and 94% in a year and noted the agency plans to continue outreach and collection activity in 2025.

Ramon told the board staff are preparing the 2025 tax process and that county tax outreach venues are scheduled to begin March 13; he said the office expected to have the 2025 materials ready by mid-February barring unexpected issues. Commissioners and the county controller asked how the remaining unpaid amounts are budgeted; the controller said anticipated revenue from the tax-claim office is usually between about $1.7 million and $1.9 million a year for back taxes and that the county budgets conservatively for carryover collections.

Commissioners also discussed that Lawrence County is one of a small number of counties in the Commonwealth where the county treasurer centrally collects property taxes, rather than municipal collectors, and that central collection can expedite deposits to the county treasury.

Ramon thanked taxpayers and his staff for the collection results and said he would return with routine updates during the tax season.