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Bolon: County’s delinquent tax crackdown paying off

LISBON –Columbiana County Treasurer Linda Bolon’s crackdown on delinquent property taxes continues to pay off.

Bolon reported at this week’s county commissioners meeting the county’s current tax delinquency rate of 4.2 percent is half the statewide average, “so we’re doing quite well.”

Bolon does not know what the delinquency rate was when she took office in 2013 but delinquent property taxes totaled $11 million. In 2014 she began sending out warning letters to property owners before launching the county’s first-ever tax lien sale program later that year. Under the program, the county sells its tax delinquencies in a bundle, with the company purchasing the tax liens recouping its money by seeking to collect on the debts.

A second tax lien sale was held in 2015, and all of the efforts have reduced delinquencies to $8.6 million, and Bolon said much of what remains is off limits because it is tied up in either foreclosure or bankruptcy proceedings.

“We’ll never be down to zero, but 4.2 percent delinquencies is still really good,” she told commissioners.

Another tax lien sales is to be held before the end of this year.

In June, Bolon turned her attention to collecting taxes owed on mobile and manufactured homes by sending out warning letters, which resulted in $130,000 to date. “It’s always difficult to collect those delinquent taxes” because mobile homes can be moved and often the property is owned by someone else, she said.

The treasurer’s office used the county’s Picometry system of aerial photographs to determine if mobile homes were still located at the reported addresses. In many instances her staff found the trailers had burned down or been replaced but not registered with the county for tax purposes.

In other news, Bolon reported to commissioners that interest income from county investments totaled $323,000 so far in 2016, an increase of about $100,000 over the same period last year. This information was revealed during the quarterly meeting of the county investment advisory board, which was held as part of the commissioners’ meeting since they are advisory board members.

tgiambroni@mojonews.com

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