By Jennifer Middleton, Jimplecute
The Jefferson Independent School District’s Board of Trustees took no action on the subject of delinquent taxpayers during their regular meeting on March 9.
A motion was proposed to address the business relationships between the district and delinquent taxpayers, but was withdrawn without a vote after trustees discussed the issue.
Patti Wallace, who works for Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson, LLP, and coordinates with the Marion County Tax Collector’s Office to recover delinquent tax accounts, told the board that the district’s overall tax collection rate is good. She then outlined the process of how tax delinquency works and that taxpayers are given ample opportunity to resolve their debt before it becomes delinquent.
“Some of the late taxes are only for the 2020 tax year and were due by the end of January,” she said. “They are not delinquent until July 1. A lot of those will pay before July 1. July 1, they roll over to the delinquent status, which is when we start working them.”
Wallace also told the board that the City of Jefferson wants to do a consolidated collection with Linebarger, which will combine school, city and county taxes to make it simpler for taxpayers to see exactly what they owe.
“We will be collecting for all the entities hopefully,” she said. “That should really ease things for the taxpayers by having one letter coming to them.”
In addition, Wallace said that 11 properties were sold in December and that they continue to offer them for new taxpayers to acquire them.
They’ve also been to court three times during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is something many counties did not have the opportunity to do.
“We felt very lucky that we were able to go and do that,” she said. “We were still able to proceed with tax sales and have continued to keep the cycle going that keeps the delinquent tax process moving.”
Place 7 Trustee JP Abernathy said the delinquent taxpayers needed to step up and do their part if they want to continue doing business with the school district.
“The taxpayers of Marion County need to pay their fair share,” he told the board. “We are not going to be doing business with you period,” he said of those on the delinquent tax roll.
Superintendent Rob Barnwell said he would look further into the delinquent accounts and bring the issue before the board for discussion at a later date.
In other business, the board approved a resolution to pay employees for the week of Feb. 15-19, when Winter Storm Uri froze the area with ice and many inches of snow, which prevented road travel.
“This is recommended by the state and most districts are doing this,” Barnwell told the board. “This allows us to pay them and the resolution solidifies it.”
The board also voted to keep mask protocols in place for the remainder of the school year. On March 2, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lifted his previous mandate requiring masks be worn in public places, including schools. The Texas Education Agency’s Public Health Planning and Guidance is still requiring school staff and students to wear face coverings unless the board votes to change it.
Barnwell said he recommended keeping the protocols in place because there were about 47 days of school left, the staff and students were used to wearing them and that there had not been an issue with their use.
The vote passed with a majority, with Trustee Kevin Godfrey voting against the resolution.
Trustees also voted to cancel the May 1 board election, as the two candidates for the available seats ran unopposed. Tolesia Smith-Davis will become the Place 6 Trustee, replacing Ned Fratangelo and Michael Williams will take the Place 7 seat, currently held by JP Abernathy. Both will be sworn in during the May board meeting, scheduled for May 11. Barnwell estimated that the district saved between $10,000 and $12,000 by canceling the election.
The next meeting is scheduled for April 13.