Jul 20, 2003 By Paul Sunyak 4 min read

Fayette County Commissioner Sean M. Cavanagh is willing to alter or ditch the county’s method of compensating tax collectors, while Commissioner Ronald M. Nehls wants to study the issue based on a recommendation from his citizen advisory group. Fayette’s elected tax collectors currently receive a 3.5 percent commission on all county taxes they collect, a method that costs roughly $255,776 per year after factoring in $18,176 worth of Social Security contributions for that group.

In Washington and Greene counties, county real estate taxes are collected by the county treasurer’s office, eliminating the need to use tax collectors. In Somerset County, tax collectors are paid a flat $2.25 fee on each tax bill they collect, regardless of size of that payment.

And Westmoreland County uses a diminishing sliding scale, paying a 1.2 percent commission to tax collectors on the first $400,000 they collect down to a 0.53 percent commission after collections hit $800,000.

Fayette County Treasurer Robert Danko already collects county real estate taxes for Uniontown and Connellsville cities and tiny Ohiopyle Borough. With more cost-effective options available, Cavanagh said he supports slashing the 3.5 percent commission rate or switching to an alternate collection method.

“This is something I would definitely do. Either cutting the rate or paying a flat fee,” said Cavanagh. “Why should Fayette County pay the highest percentage in the state, or even be higher than our bordering counties, when we’re one of the poorest counties?

“I have nothing against any of the tax collectors. But it just doesn’t make sense.”

Nehls and his citizen advisory group, which he’s turned to for consensus-building advice on several issues, met last week and discussed the matter. Nehls said the group, which included two tax collectors, decided to seek a study that would analyze the options and their benefits and drawbacks.

“We agreed that we should see if an agency such as the Pennsylvania Economy League, or something like that, in cooperation with the state tax collectors association, could do a study,” said Nehls. “We’ll start immediately trying to secure some funds and how much it will cost, and make sure that all of it is doable, financially.”

Nehls said the study’s goal would be to compare tax collection methods in other Pennsylvania counties, as well as in other states, and to come up with a recommendation or two.

“Then let us study it (as a group) and make a recommendation. And wherever it goes from there, who knows?” said Nehls.

However, Cavanagh said the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania is already doing a comparative analysis of how counties collect taxes. “Currently, they’re taking a survey,” said Cavanagh, who notes that it’s not necessary to study the obvious.

Cavanagh said that with other counties already operating more efficiently – and saving taxpayer money in the process – studying the issue might just bog down the effort into procedural inaction.

“I’m willing to cut that cost. Ron can talk to his advisory board all he wants, but until he’s willing to vote on it, it doesn’t matter,” said Cavanagh. “It’s time to quit talking and start walking on this issue. Why should we be paying so much more than the surrounding counties?”

Cavanagh also alluded to the widely held notion in political circles that the Fayette tax collector commission rate is sacrosanct, as they are viewed as politically powerful in their respective municipalities and a great ally come Election Day.

“There’s a lot of nonsense in Fayette County government and you can’t change it without a second vote. Clearly, Vince Vicites, the political animal that he is, won’t be willing to cut it. So it’s up to Ron Nehls,” said Cavanagh.

Vicites, the commission chairman, did not return telephone calls on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.

But Cavanagh said that in an age of computer-aided efficiency, tax collectors represent an outmoded and archaic vestige of the past. He said the state and federal governments use centralized tax collection operations, and that doing so in Fayette County government would pare costs.

“When you add everything up, you can cut costs in county government, by doing things like this,” said Cavanagh. “Let’s get real: the IRS is a central tax bureau, Harrisburg has a central tax bureau for the state – but in Fayette County you need 39 tax collectors for a population of 140,000 people?

“Something’s not right with the picture. It’s just another layer of costs that’s unnecessary.”