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Commissioners debate reactivating county collections unit to pursue long‑unpaid local fees
Summary
Court discussed reactivating or expanding a county collections function after staff reported long‑uncollected fees (including septic‑system maintenance fees dating to 2010). No formal action or funding was approved; commissioners asked staff to refine proposals for next fiscal year.
Van Zandt County commissioners on Jan. 13 discussed reactivating a county collections function or expanding outside legal contracts to pursue unpaid civil fees ranging from septic‑system maintenance charges to other departmental balances.
The discussion was prompted by the fire marshal’s office and other departments reporting uncollected fees, in some cases dating back to about 2010. Commissioners and staff described the problem as twofold: (1) some maintenance‑contract firms are not remitting the $30 annual septic maintenance fee the county requires and (2) the county currently lacks an internal unit with authority and budget to pursue civil fee enforcement beyond issuing notices.
Why it matters: uncollected fees represent foregone revenue and diminish enforcement credibility when staff require compliance without an effective follow‑up mechanism. Reactivating collections could increase recoveries but requires funding and legal authority for enforcement.
What was said and not decided: • Statutory limits — Speakers clarified that some county actors (for example, the fire marshal and certain departments) can accept payments or issue citations but do not have the statutory authority to enforce civil collections; enforcement commonly requires a justice‑court or district‑court referral and, for further action, a contracted law firm. • Scope and cost — Commissioners noted there is currently no funding in this year’s budget to stand up a county collections office. Several commissioners favored scoping the work (what fees to collect, whether to pursue historic balances or start fresh) and presenting budget and operational proposals for the next fiscal year. • Septic fees — The fire marshal noted the $30 annual maintenance fee that contractors are required to remit; some contractors appear not to have been remitting these funds for years. Commissioners expressed reluctance to retroactively penalize residents and said they preferred starting new enforcement or pursuing contractors rather than charging residents for 10+ years of arrears.
No formal motion to establish a collections unit or to hire outside counsel was adopted; the court directed staff to gather reports on outstanding receivables and to return with a budgeted, scoping recommendation.
Ending: Commissioners asked staff to provide reports showing delinquent accounts and options for staged enforcement so the court could consider funding and legal approaches during next year’s budget process.
