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Commissioners probe $103,926.69 in unpaid July tax collections; legal counsel advises no immediate action
Summary
County officials asked whether money collected for the 2024 tax season but not remitted to Newton County (reported at $103,926.69 for July) required court action; legal counsel said no immediate filing was necessary while staff pursue recovery and the amount reduces the projected budget carryover.
During discussion of the proposed FY2026 budget, commissioners raised concerns about tax payments the county’s tax assessor-collector received in 2025 for the 2024 tax season that had not been remitted to Newton County.
A tax-office representative reported a July shortfall of $103,926.69 and noted a separate July check of $562.95 had been received. Commissioners asked whether payments collected in January should have been paid in February and whether any county action was required to recover funds. Counsel and staff explained that some timing differences are expected under the tax code (for example, August collections may not yet be due) and that the January collections were normally remitted in February.
Legal counsel advised the court that, based on the discussion at that meeting, there was no immediate legal action or deadline the court needed to meet that day; staff and the tax office were continuing collection and reconciliation efforts. Commissioners noted that until the county receives the outstanding receipts the projected carryover used in the FY2026 budget would be reduced by the outstanding amount.
The court did not direct a specific new legal filing or set a recovery deadline in that session; rather, staff were instructed to continue pursuing the matter and to update the court after the tax office’s forthcoming school-board meeting (which staff said could resolve some of the timing issues).
