The City of Knox will receive some assistance with delinquent accounts, following a decision made by City Council members last week.
When members met last Wednesday, they permitted Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston and Mayor Dennis Estok to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Local Government Clearing house.
The MOU allows city officials to take advantage of the Tax Refund Exchange and Compliance Systems (TRECS) program.
According to information provided by Houston, through TRECS, Indiana municipalities can share information with the Indiana Department of Revenue and intercept state income tax refunds for people who owe local units of government money on any delinquent account.
Houston mentioned that this is how unpaid child support has been obtained for a long time and noted that state agencies and universities have utilized this process for years and now local municipalities have the opportunity to participate as well.
He provided some of the specific ways the program would be beneficial for the City of Knox.
Houston explained, “Some of the things that we might be able to use this for are like animal violations, demolitions, hydrant usage, maintenance, nuisances, ordinance violations, sewer taps and storm water.”
For more information about the City’s new tool for collecting unpaid debts, check out the answers to these Frequently Asked Questions about the TRECS Program.
