WBFO 88.7

County May Hire New Workers to Collect Back Taxes

News Staff

BUFFALO, NY (2007-08-01): The Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority's opposition to a plan to sell county tax liens to a private company may result in the resumption of the county tax collection office.

Control board executive director Kenneth Vetter met with the county Legislature's Finance and Management Committee Tuesday, and noted that the county had collected its own taxes until the office was disbanded in 2003 during the county budget crisis.

Legislators are looking to hire as many as ten new staffers to collect back taxes.

County Comptroller Mark Poloncarz says the control board owes taxpayers an apology for failing to approve the tax lien sale, which he says would have netted the county $40 million.