Highlands School District's solicitor is now its delinquent tax collector, too

The law firm that represents the Highlands School District will now also collect the district's past-due property taxes.

The school board voted Monday to retain Weiss Burkardt Kramer as the district's delinquent real estate tax collector and special counsel, effective today.

The board also renewed the firm as the district's solicitor, at $115 per hour.

The district will not pay the firm for delinquent tax collection. The firm will keep a 10 percent penalty added to delinquent accounts.

Before the board voted, the district's previous delinquent tax collector, Dawn Howells, voiced her concerns over the district's outsourcing of delinquent tax collection, a task she had done for almost 20 years.

Howells said she has collected more than $1 million in delinquent taxes each year since the 2012-13 school year. She said she has collected about $659,000 from July 1 to Jan. 9.

“Of course, I am disappointed that I would no longer be doing the tax collection for Highlands,” said Howells, who is also a buildings-and-grounds secretary. “However, I am more concerned for our district taxpayers, the people who I have served and come to know personally for almost 20 years.

“There are taxpayers who faithfully come to my office every month to make payments. I also help the elderly taxpayers complete and file their property tax rebates each year,” she said.

Howells said she welcomes taxpayers to come to her office to get help understanding their tax bills.

“How are these people going to get the help they need and deserve without the in-house control of tax collection?” she said.

Solicitor Ira Weiss said one person in his office would handle calls from Highlands; calls will not go to a call center.

Existing payment plans will be honored, he said.

Weiss said he expects delinquent collections to increase, at a lower cost to the district.

“I understand that change is difficult,” he said. “I believe this is in the district's best interest.”

And although he said it's never happened before, Weiss said they could have someone meet people in-person in the district, if necessary.

“Our goal is to put the district in a better financial position with no hardship to the residents,” he said.

Brian C. Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-226-4701, brittmeyer@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BCRittmeyer.