Cass County collector details upcoming tax sale and senior open-enrollment plans

Chris Mollendorf, Cass County Collector of Revenue, updated the commission and public Aug. 20 on two administrative priorities: the upcoming delinquent real-estate tax sale and the county’s senior open-enrollment work.

Mollendorf said the tax sale is scheduled for Monday at 10 a.m. on the courthouse north steps. At the time of his report, 55 bidders were registered and 51 properties were slated for offering; staff are continuing outreach to owners to reduce the list and plan to post property addresses on the collector’s office Facebook page to help locate owners. He said law enforcement will be present and Pearl Street will be closed for the event. Mollendorf asked for volunteer “spotters” and thanked staff for heavy workloads preparing the sale.

On senior services, Mollendorf reported that about 9,900 households were enrolled last year; about 800 households have been removed from the rolls because people moved or died, and roughly 3,000 additional households have been newly enrolled so far. He said the county will change renewal mailings from postcards to formal letters with return envelopes to improve privacy and response rates. The hard open-enrollment deadline for seniors was given as Aug. 29 at 4:30 p.m.

Mollendorf also warned commissioners about ongoing litigation tied to a tax-credit program: he said there are three lawsuits, including two class actions in St. Louis and a challenge filed by Senator Michael Moon of Christian County. He recommended holding off on spending for a public-facing online portal until litigation clears. No formal action on the litigation was taken at the meeting.