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Law firms report Waco’s delinquent tax collection practices, say most debts resolved early
Summary
City‑contracted law firms told council the majority of accounts turned over for collection are resolved within 12 months, that less than ~2% of the levy was turned over for collections, and described outreach tools including more intake staff and mass text messaging.
Attorneys representing the city’s tax‑collection contractors briefed the Waco City Council on delinquent property tax collections for tax year 2024 and related nuisance‑abatement foreclosures.
Connor Buchanan, a shareholder at McCreery, Veselka, Bragg & Allen, and Rick Bostwick explained the multi‑step collection process: notices and outreach, voluntary payment plans, and, where necessary, filing lawsuits that can lead to foreclosure sales. Buchanan said the firms emphasize counseling and outreach and have added intake staff to assist taxpayers who call in.
Bostwick and Buchanan presented collection statistics and said most accounts sent to their offices are collected within the first 12 months; one chart in the presentation showed a current collection percentage of about 98.79% for the year-to-date levy. They told council that, of the city’s total levy, the fraction actually turned over for outside collection work was “less than 2%.”
The presenters also described modernized outreach: “We’ve sent 35,000 text messages over the last year” to encourage engagement, and noted a low number of actual property sales (they estimated 4–5) resulting from collection litigation. They said nuisance abatement foreclosures are used for substandard properties identified by code enforcement so those lots can be redeveloped or sold back into private ownership.
Council members asked how cases are prioritized; Buchanan said firms generally balance the city’s revenue needs with likelihood of recovery and often work higher‑value commercial accounts sooner, while adding staff and technology to process more cases. Members also raised concerns about text messaging scams; presenters said payments go through the judge’s office or county tax office, which reduces potential for fraud.
What’s next: no final policy change was recorded in the provided transcript; council thanked the presenters and asked staff to continue oversight of collection practices.
