County official Chris Moore reports 17,061 delinquent notices, seeks new tax software and plans to move tax sale indoors

Chris Moore, speaking during the public-comment portion of the Cass County Commission meeting on April 8, said his office will open enrollment for seniors seeking a property-tax freeze from April 13 through July 3 at his office in Milwaukee Mall, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each weekday, and that new applicants must bring photo identification and an authorized signature on the initial application.

Moore told the commission he intends to move the county’s annual tax sale back indoors after the office used an outdoor tent during the pandemic years. "I can't conduct a sale with people 600, 700 feet away," he said, describing crowding and bidder distances at past outdoor sales. He said he will seek commission approval before implementing the change.

Moore also reported a large upward spike in unpaid accounts. "We sent out 17,061 notices," he said, calling the volume "a crushing, smashing, jaw-dropping amount." He said higher living costs are affecting property-tax collections and warned the upcoming sale could be larger than in past years.

On technology, Moore said the office still runs a 30-year-old IBM system and that several long-time support staff have retired, leaving the office with limited backup programming support. He said he has received multiple bids for replacement software and expects to return to the commission with a formal proposal around two weeks after the meeting. Moore described bid variability: one vendor requested $48,000 down, another $224,000 down; some vendors offered monthly plans or hosted payment services, and Moore said staff would conduct demonstrations and site visits before making a recommendation.

Moore said the county will prioritize vendors experienced with first-class county collectors in Missouri and will test systems for everyday tasks such as taking payments, processing bankruptcy claims, handling tax abatements and issuing refund checks. He said he will work with the county auditor and use a mix of TMF funds and the general budget to pay for any programming. Moore concluded that he wants a Windows-based system to avoid buying new hardware and emphasized training and a measured rollout to avoid disrupting staff.

Commissioners asked follow-up questions about pricing, hosting and integration with existing systems. Moore acknowledged one vendor declined to bid because of bandwidth constraints tied to other statewide implementations. He said he hopes to have staff review incoming bids immediately and schedule demos and interviews in the coming days. The meeting later moved into closed session under RSMO 610.021(1) for legal matters.

Next steps: Moore said he plans to bring a formal procurement recommendation to the commission at an upcoming meeting; no formal procurement decision was made during the April 8 session.