Title
An Ordinance of the County of Allegheny authorizing the County to enter into a cooperation agreement with the City of Pittsburgh, School District of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority pursuant to the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Act for the purpose of jointly cooperating in the collection of Delinquent Taxes.
Body
Whereas, the General Local Government Code, 53 P.S. § 2301 et. seq. (hereinafter the “Code”), provides that two or more municipalities may jointly cooperate in the exercise of or performance of their respective governmental functions, powers, or responsibilities, when both bodies pass an ordinance to that effect; and
Whereas, the Code defines "intergovernmental cooperation" as cooperation or agreement in the exercise of any function, power or responsibility or the transfer of any function, power or responsibility with or to one or more other local governments, 53 P.S. § 2304; and
Whereas, Pennsylvania law permits taxing bodies such as the County to utilize third-party agents and collection services in order to streamline and modernize their collection (“Delinquent Collections”) of delinquent and liened tax and municipal claims (“Delinquent Claim(s)”) and to add the charges, expenses, fees and attorney fees (“Costs of Collection”) of Delinquent Collections to the Delinquent Claim balance due; and
Whereas, in May 2004, the County, by and through its Treasurer, deputized a private tax collector (“Special Tax Servicer”) to assist the Treasurer and the County's Special Legal Counsel with Delinquent Collections; and
Whereas, the Delinquent Collections program implemented by the County Treasurer has significantly increased the County's Delinquent Collections, generating in excess of $60 million with NO Costs of Collection paid by the County; and
Whereas, adding the Costs of Collection to each Delinquent Claim reduces the financial burden on taxing bodies by shifting the Costs of Collection from those ...
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