Polk County directs tax administrator to collect late 2014 taxes

Published 10:00 pm Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Polk County residents who have not yet paid their taxes should expect their names to be listed in an advertisement soon.

The Polk County Board of Commissioners charged the county tax administrator to collect uncollected taxes for 2014 by any means available, including advertising a list of property owners.

Commissioners met Feb. 23 and reviewed the amount of taxes still owed. Taxes were due in January.

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Commissioners reviewed in February that as of Jan. 13, 2015, there was $1,275,301 still owed to the county for 2014 taxes, which was a 90.25 percent collection rate.

Between mid-January and the end of February, the county collected another $287,928 in taxes.

Polk County Tax Administrator Melissa Bowlin said the amount of taxes paid changes daily, but as of Feb. 28, there was $987,373 still owed to the county in taxes.

For 2014, Polk County billed a total of $13,079,973 in property taxes and as of Feb. 28, had collected $12,092,600, according to the county tax office. The collection rate as of Feb. 28 was 92.45 percent, which was slightly less than the collection rate at the same time for the 2013 taxes.

As of Feb. 28, 2014, the county had billed $13,056,066 in property taxes and had collected $12,191,208. The total uncollected as of Feb. 28, 2014 was $864,858 at a collection rate of 93.38 percent, according to the tax office.

The county plans to run an advertisement of all property owners who have not paid their 2014 taxes on April 1, which will include the name of the taxpayer and the amount owed to the county.