Highland Supervisors Looking At Alternatives For Collection Of Delinquent Taxes

Monterey, Va – At last week’s meeting of the Highland County Board of Supervisors, County Treasurer Lois White asked the Board to consider adopting an ordinance regarding collection of past due personal property taxes. County Administrator Roberta Lambert summarizes the request.

“The Treasurer has requested that the board consider the adoption of an ordinance to cover the cost of using a collection agency to collect delinquent taxes” says Lambert. “The collection agency adds an additional fee to the delinquent taxes which is their fee for making the collection.”

Lois White then describes her rationale for this ordinance.

“You have five years to collect personal property [taxes]; after that you can’t force collection” says White.

White says it’s particularly difficult if the individual moves out of state. The Board voted to have County Attorney Melissa Dowd draft an ordinance on collection of overdue personal property taxes and scheduled a public hearing on the ordinance for the April Board meeting.

In other business, Betty Mitchell, Executive Director of the Highland Center, asked the Board to help fund an economic impact analysis to be used in future Highland Center Grant applications. County Administrator Lambert describes the details of the request.

“The Board of Supervisors has received a request for up to $2000.00 from the ARC or Appalachian Regional Commission” says Lambert. “The County receives $9000.00 from the ARC for a technical assistance grant and then the County matches that with an additional $9000.00. That funding is used over the fiscal year for technical assistance from the planning district.”

The county currently has just $4,000 remaining in this funding category and expects to use all of that to cover expenses for the Monterey sidewalk project and the completion of the county comprehensive plan. The Supervisors voted to table this request until they can review the county budget and gather more information.
Virginia Department of Transportation Lexington Office Residency Manager Susan Hammond next makes a report to the Board.

“Street sweeping has started in Monterey and is complete in McDowell” she says. “The temporary Rt 600 bridge is in place now and the contractor is supposed to start work on the culvert on Monday [March 14th]. We also have a scheduled bridge replacement on Rt 250 which is the bridge that’s in McDowell. It’s scheduled for award in April, provided the bids come in all right.”

Construction of the bridge in McDowell is scheduled to take about 18 months and it will still be under construction during Maple Festival in 2012. VDOT has instructed the contractor to maintain 2-lane traffic during March for the convenience of travelers to and from the Maple Festival.

The next regular meeting of the Highland County Board of Supervisors will be Tuesday, April 5 at 7:30 PM in the Modular Conference Center in Monterey.