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Tax commissioner asks board to clear long-standing delinquent accounts; commissioners approve annual clean-up
Summary
The tax commissioner and delinquent-property specialist asked the board to remove older delinquent accounts that are past the seven-year statutory collection period; the board approved the list and discussed making annual reports part of the process to improve collection and transparency.
The tax commissioner provided an update on delinquent property-tax accounts and introduced delinquent-property tax specialist Carol Sterling to explain the offices clean-up plan.
Sterling said the office is removing records that fall outside the seven‑year statute of limitations and is working to make the delinquent list manageable for enforcement and collections. "Our goal right now is just really to clean up the delinquent tax taxes that are on the records," Sterling said, describing efforts to compile current contact information, use a vendor to locate heirs, and make the list actionable.
Commissioners asked why small-dollar accounts were left uncollected and whether removing older items would send the wrong message. Staff said changes are necessary because state law prevents collection beyond seven years; the board agreed the annual cleanup should be scheduled and requested future reporting that includes the total value of amounts removed.
The board moved, seconded and approved removing the specified older delinquent accounts from the collectible roll. Staff said the county has improved collection tools, switched property-tax software, and plans to present a regular annual report on delinquent accounts at the same time each year.
What the approval means: removal of the listed older items will align county records with statutory limits and make active collection efforts more manageable; it is not a forgiveness policy for recent delinquencies and staff continues to pursue collection options such as judicial in rem sale where appropriate.
