CAMERON, Texas (KRHD) — Residents in Milam County say they're becoming frustrated paying their property taxes at the tax office due to long lines and "unanswered" calls.
- Residents say they're having difficulties calling the tax office and are waiting at least 25 minutes in line to pay their property taxes.
- Milam County Judge Bill Whitmire gave three reasons why residents are experiencing these problems:
- When the previous tax collector retired in June, most staff left, too, leading to staffing shortages and difficulties hiring employees.
- The former chief appraiser was fired last year, and the new appraiser had to conduct multiple audits that had been neglected for three years, causing delays in sending out tax bills.
- Establishing the Emergency Services District in the county required additional focus.
- The county consider waiving penalties for late payments and moving tax collections to the appraisal district Feb. 10.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Long lines —
“This is the first time I see this many people here all at one time to pay their taxes," Robert Acosta, a Milam County resident, said.
— and missed calls.
"I know some people have been saying that it's been just harder to contact the tax office," 15ABC said.
“It is. It's very hard," Stella Jennings who lives in Rockdale said.
It’s just some of the problems our neighbors in Milam County say they're facing as they drop off their property tax payments.
So, 15ABC spoke to County Judge Bill Whitmire.
"What’s going on with the tax office?," 15 ABC asked.
“When the former tax assessor-collector [Sherry Mueck] retired last year in June, there were no employees left in that office, which is fairly common when one elected official leaves office and a new elected official comes in, so we've had a difficult time countywide getting employees to come aboard," he said.
The tax office only has three employees processing payments, forcing them to close early at least one day a week.
“The problem is you've only got two people in there that can collect funds plus a chief appraiser or a tax assessor collector, and as a result, a lot of the phone calls have to go to voicemail," Whitmire said.
People I've talked to in line tell 15ABC it’s just an inconvenience and believe there should be another office.
“Well, they've got that office there in Rockdale," Jennings said.
"If they just find somebody to run it," Jennings sister, Jane Dill, said.
The commission is considering moving tax collections to the appraisal district, hoping it will solve these issues in the future.
"Now, whether it fixes the problems we're having this year, I hope so. I hope if we left it where it was that we've learned enough this year that our new tax assessor-collector [Melissa Fritz], and her staff has learned enough that going into next year," Whitmire said.
"They would have that knowledge and she would be able to build up a staff."
