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Alamance County tax administrator reports 99.21% collection rate; commissioners approve write-off of 2015 taxes and order of collection for 2025
Summary
Tax administrator Brad Fowler told the Board of Commissioners the county collected about 99.21% of the 2024 levy, recommended charging off remaining 2015 uncollectible taxes, and requested authorization for the 2025 order of collection; the board unanimously approved both requests.
Brad Fowler, Alamance County tax administrator, presented the county's annual tax collection settlement for 2024 and asked the board to approve charging off remaining 2015 taxes and to authorize the 2025 order of collection.
Fowler told commissioners the total levy for 2024 was $112,000,003.53, the total collected was $111,000,004.57, the total uncollected was $902,002.74, and the collection rate for 2024 was 99.21%. He said the five-year average collection rate is 98.98% and that 99.21% is the highest rate he found in at least 25 years. "This is an annual process that the board must go through by statute," Fowler said.
Fowler described office changes he said contributed to higher collections: new individual development plans for staff, system enhancements to process bank attachments in bulk, expanded use of rent attachments, and running attachments twice annually (an additional cost of about $6,000 that Fowler said yielded roughly $150,000 in collections). He specifically recognized front-counter staff and named Cindy Miller, who recently retired, and Kathy Tyler, newly hired as the collections supervisor.
Fowler asked the board to approve charging off the remaining 2015 balances, which he said totaled $49,392.72 as of June 30, and explained a statutory 10-year enforcement limit means 2015 debts become unenforceable after Sept. 1, 2025. He also requested authorization for the tax collector to declare taxes a first lien on listed taxpayers' real property and to levy and sell real or personal property as allowed by law to collect 2025 taxes.
Commissioner (unnamed) moved to approve writing off the uncollectible 2015 taxes and to authorize the tax collector to proceed with collection actions; a second was given and the motion passed unanimously. The board did not record an itemized roll-call in the public transcript; meeting minutes list the motion as adopted.
No additional conditions or follow-up tasks were specified in the motion. Fowler said he would provide the formal write-off request that was included in the meeting packet and answer any follow-up questions from commissioners.
Ending: The board then moved to other business and closed the meeting. The tax settlement and the approved write-off and order of collection will be reflected in county records and the minutes for this meeting.
