The Carroll County Board of Supervisors is working to collect outstanding garbage bills through a debt set-off.
The debt set-off bill was passed by Mississippi Legislators in 2019 as a way for counties and municipalities to “utilize the Mississippi Association of Supervisors or the Mississippi Municipal League, as appropriate, as their agents in utilizing this procedure; to provide the amount of the debt and income tax refunds to which this act applies; to provide for notice to the debtor and an opportunity for the debtor to contest and appeal the set-off; to provide for the duties of the department of revenue under this act; to impose a collection assistance fee on each debt collected under this act; to authorize the exchange of information between the department of revenue, local governments and their member organizations that is necessary to accomplish and effectuate the intent of this act; to provide that information obtained from the department of revenue shall retain its confidentiality and to provide penalties for the unlawful disclosure of such information.”
Sanitation Clerk Courtnee Austin said right now the county has a total outstanding balance of $271,000 in unpaid garbage bills. Austin said before the letters were sent out, the county had an outstanding balance of $276,000.
She said that she, Allison Dowdle and Andrea Trinkler with the Tax Assessor and Collector’s Offices` in Carrollton and Vaiden are working together to help her locate people.
“You know, some people may have moved, but they may still be here in Carroll County, so they’re helping me to find people,” she said. Austin told the board there’s a program through LexisNexis where she could get the social security numbers of the residents who have outstanding bills. Austin said letters would be sent to those who are $300 behind, which is a full year of garbage bills.
Earlier this year, the board also approved to send out through certified mail, a letter to anyone who was over $1,000 behind.
“We sent off 50 letters and we collected $7,500,” she said. Austin said there were people who no longer stay at those addresses anymore and some who just refused to accept the certified mail.
Dowdy asked what the board wants the tax office to do if a person buys a property and the garbage bill is still attached to it.
“It has always been our policy that the bill goes with the landowner,” Board Attorney Kevin Horan said. He told Dowdle that he’d get back with her on that one.
The board also approved to move $100,000 out of general fund to the bridge fund. Supervisors have had several discussions about the bridge fund and the fact that it has dwindled down. It has been a concern that where it stood before the move, which under $50,000, it wouldn’t last until the end of the year.
“But, this still means we can’t buy culverts or anything else out of bridge fund. It’s for payroll and LSBP [Local State Bridge Program] projects and that’s it,” Supervisor Claude Fluker said.
