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Brentwood proposes adding collections authority and up to 35% collection fee for unpaid traffic fines
Summary
Police Chief Marcus Jones told the council March 11 the town proposes to allow referral of unpaid traffic-related fines (after 30 days) to a collection agency or attorney, allow reporting to credit bureaus, and assess a collection fee not to exceed 35%; the town said MCOA has been awarded the collections contract.
At a March 11 public hearing, Police Chief Marcus Jones outlined three proposed ordinances that would add explicit collection authority and fees to the town's vehicles-and-traffic code for multiple enforcement programs.
Chief Jones said ordinance 2025-02 would add section 305-60 to allow unpaid fines and fees older than 30 days to be referred, at the town's discretion and to the extent permitted by law, to a collection agency or attorney for collection and to be reported to major credit bureaus. He said the ordinance would permit an additional collection fee "not to exceed 35%" of the total amount owed and that the town could alternatively elect to file a civil suit to recover delinquent sums.
Jones next described ordinance 2025-03, which would repeal, amend and reenact code sections governing the speed-camera and red-light camera enforcement programs so the same collection authority and fee provisions apply to those programs. He said ordinance 2025-04 would add the same collection language to the code sections that govern stop-sign monitoring systems.
During questioning, a participant asked whether the circulated document was the version on official letterhead and on file with the clerk; Chief Jones said it was the version returned by the town attorney. Vice Mayor Keanna Taylor asked whether this measure reinstates an earlier practice and whether a vendor had been selected. Jones said prior legislation did not include this explicit code language and confirmed that MCOA was the vendor awarded to handle collections.
No council votes on the ordinances were recorded at the hearing; the items were presented and the public hearing was used to satisfy notice requirements. Council members and the mayor heard responses from the police chief and did not offer substantive opposition during the session.
If approved in their later legislative steps, the ordinances would enable the town to refer eligible unpaid fines to collections or, alternatively, pursue civil suits, and to add a capped collection fee for accounts referred to collections.
