City wants county to collect taxes

Herald Staff Report

ROANOKE RAPIDS — The city will begin negotiating with Halifax County to do its billing and tax collections beginning in 2009.

The move would save the city approximately $235,000 a year, City Manager Phyllis Lee said following a closed session during Tuesday’s City Council meeting in which the matter was discussed. The savings would be the equivalent of 2 cents of the tax rate.

Having counties collect and bill city taxes is a common practice throughout the state. “The Local Government Commission has been endorsing this as a method for the past 10 years,” said Lee.

Doing this will require a personnel shift, Lee said, following the meeting. One of  the two employees who worked in the tax office will fill a vacancy created with a retirement in Planning and Development.

Tax Collector Phyllis Hasty will continue her duties, chasing 10-year delinquencies and researching liens, Lee said.