Council hears report on delinquent property tax collections

By LYNETTE SOWELL 

Cove Leader-Press 

During its Tuesday night regular meeting on Nov. 5, the Copperas Cove city council heard a property tax collections report from attorney Robert Meyers, MVBA P.C., with the firm of  McCreary, Veselka, Bragg and Allen, that handles collections on delinquent property taxes. The same firm does so for other cities and counties locally. 

Meyers said that in each of the last four years, the city’s total annual tax collections actually exceeded the amount of taxes that were levied. The City has collected 99.86%, 100.12%, 100.38, and 100.66%, for tax years 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

In 2023 alone, the firm collected $125,000 in delinquent property taxes owed to the city.

He said that reflects well on the city, that people have the money to pay their bills and they are paying their bill to the City of Copperas Cove, and they’re conscientious about paying their bills. 

“This makes our job that much easier,” Meyers told the council.

“When we do have delinquent taxes referred to us, your taxpayers respond very promptly and quickly and get their taxes paid. You don’t have a delinquent problem. You have a really excellent collection,” he added.

The firm essentially provides these collection services to the city at no cost to the city, but the fees are paid by the taxpayers who take care of their delinquent bills.

After the report City Manager Ryan Haverlah said that the City of Copperas Cove is looking at additional services from the firm. 

“We’re looking at the potential collection of hotel occupancy tax and municipal liens, which primarily are generated through the Code Compliance Department. One of the things that you as council have said is a priority is to deal with vacant properties,” Haverlah said. “The struggle with dealing with vacant properties is identifying those responsible for that property, especially if they’re owned by a corporation or an entity that is designed to hide or conceal individuals that may own that property – not necessarily in a negative way, that’s just the legal methods that can be used.”

Haverlah said that the city is looking at agreements for those services and that will be something to be brought back to the council for future discussion.

The council also heard a presentation from Beth Galick-Carney, the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce president, about the chamber’s Visitors Bureau activities and expenses, for which the chamber was requesting payment for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023-24. The chamber requested and received a payment of $20,042.53.

The council also held an executive session during which it discussed an incentive for an EDC business prospect called “Project Hometown Hero” but came out of the session to take no action.