Commission tables decades-old personal-property tax write-offs pending corrected figures and legal review

Seward County staff presented two resolutions intended to write off long‑outstanding personal‑property tax accounts dating back to the 1980s and 1990s; commissioners responded with procedural and legal questions and voted to table action while staff obtains corrected interest calculations and counsel guidance.

The treasurer's office provided detailed lists of accounts that a collections firm had declared largely uncollectible, noting many accounts involved deceased taxpayers or missing documentation. Commissioners and counsel said selective extraction of individual accounts could create legal risk and emphasized the need for a clean, accurate calculation of principal and interest through a specific cutoff date before approving write-offs.

County leadership expressed frustration that some prior commissions had not resolved decades-old debt and stressed the need to get the figures right to avoid reopening the issue in the future. The board voted to table the resolutions for two weeks so staff can coordinate with the software vendor to recalculate interest and prepare corrected exhibits for a May 18 packet.

Why it matters: Writing off tax debt affects county accounting and financial statements and should be supported by accurate documentation. Commissioners sought to avoid litigation risk and ensure the write-offs clear the records comprehensively.

What’s next: Staff will ask the software vendor to calculate interest and prepare corrected exhibits; legal counsel will advise whether individual accounts can be singled out or whether blanket resolutions are required. The item was tabled to the commission’s May 18 meeting.