Board questions proposal to raise per-bill tax collector fee; tax collector outlines workload and costs

Board members questioned a proposal from the district tax collector to increase per-bill compensation beginning in 2026. Christine Keener, the district tax collector, explained the rationale for the request and described the volume of tax-billing transactions she handles for the district.

Keener said she collects roughly $28,000,000 for the district and currently is compensated at $1.35 per bill for 2025. She described her work as operating like a small business: she pays for software, rent, supplies and other overhead out of pocket and receives a gross compensation based on per-bill fees. Keener characterized a proposed 10'¢ per-bill annual increase as reasonable in light of workload and rising costs and said she is reimbursed for envelopes and stamps but not other operating costs.

Board members compared the proposed escalation rate to historical county and peer-district practices. One director noted the county increases tax-collector compensation annually by a cost-of-living provision and said the district's current total compensation for the tax collector is roughly comparable to nearby districts. Another board member suggested that 10'¢ escalation (7% per year in Keener's proposal) outpaces typical long-run CPI assumptions (about 3.5%) and proposed a lower escalation tied to projected inflation.

Administrators said the tax collector's total compensation is budgeted as a line item and that any change would be reflected in next year's budget. Keener said that in 2024 the district mailed approximately 98'100 pieces and that certain tax billing events (installments, escrow payments, delinquent notices) increase the number of times a bill is "touched," producing additional compensation events.

No final decision was made; board members asked for review and recommended further review before a formal vote.