More than $900,000 in delinquent property taxes has been recovered through Allen County’s latest tax sale.
County Counsel Bob Johnson reported to commissioners Tuesday morning that the collection process, which began about 18 months ago, resulted in approximately $580,000 being paid by delinquent taxpayers before the auction even took place. The sale itself generated another $341,000, bringing the total collected to just over $900,000.
Johnson said the county’s goal is never to sell property. “We would rather everybody just paid their taxes,” he said.
Properties must be at least three years delinquent before they are eligible for a tax sale.
Johnson said multiple notices are sent to property owners during the process, giving them opportunities to redeem their property before it is offered for auction.
The recent sale attracted a large crowd. “We had a couple hundred people there,” noted Johnson.
The sale must still be confirmed before deed work can be completed, a process Johnson expects will take about 30 days.
Looking ahead, Johnson said preparations for the next tax sale will begin in January 2027, with another auction likely taking place in 2028.
Johnson noted the county does not pocket all of the money collected. Because Allen County bills and collects taxes on behalf of local governments and educational institutions, the recovered tax dollars are distributed among those entities as well.
“Some of our efforts benefit greatly the cities in the county, school districts, colleges,” Johnson said. “I think it’s a win-win.”
THE GOOD news help buffered the commission’s next chore — the 2027 budget.
Commissioners expect to make final decisions on the 2027 budget next week after asking department heads to identify additional savings.
County Clerk Shannon Patterson said Allen County 911 Director Chelsie Decker submitted several reductions following last week’s discussion, while Allen County Sheriff Anthony Maness made additional adjustments, resulting in a $10,000 reduction in part-time wages that will be reflected in the next draft.
Patterson said she will provide commissioners with a comparison between the approved 2026 budget and the proposed 2027 budget before next week’s work session.
Commissioner Jerry Daniels said that comparison will help determine where reductions can be made.
“Without the 2026 budget, there’s really nothing to compare it to,” he said.
