New Avery County tax administrator reports 98.1% collection rate for 2024 and outlines collections activity

Andrea Turbotil, the newly appointed Avery County Tax Administrator, delivered her first official report to the Avery County Board of Commissioners at the July 7 meeting.

Turbitol (presented in the meeting as Andrea Turbotil) reported the county's original 2024 levy for county tax at $20,079,216.52 and a fire tax levy of $3,896,015.15, for a combined levy figure reported earlier in her remarks of approximately $23,975,231.67; Turbotil later summarized total levy for 2024 as $24,275,398.52 and said the county collected $23,813,685.40 for a 98.1% collection rate for 2024. She provided a 10-year levy and collection overview noting a 10-year total levy of $207,528,434.90 and total collected $206,511,453.52 (10-year collection rate 99.51%).

Turbitol explained components of releases and discoveries, citing discovery totals of $343,196.78 for the year (breakouts noted in her report) and described payment agreements and efforts to work with taxpayers. She said collections staff issued demand letters and that the office avoids aggressive levy techniques where possible, preferring payment agreements that do not immediately resort to wage garnishment. She also reported a small number of bankruptcies and accounts turned over to the county attorney for collection.

The board received the report and then moved to approve the monthly collections as presented.

Ending: The report was accepted as informational and the board voted to approve the collections report; staff were directed to continue normal collection and payment-agreement practices described in the presentation.