THOMASVILLE — Thomas County commissioners approved funding Monday for Thomas County Sheriff’s Office personnel handling tax collections.

Thomas County Sheriff Carlton Powell became responsible for collecting delinquent taxes this year, after Tax Commissioner Shirley Prevatt told county commissioners in late 2008 that she would no longer collect the money.

Prevatt relinquished her ex-officio sheriff powers and the $4,600 she was paid annually to collect back taxes. Her current salary is $68,600.

Commissioners approved a $3,000 stipend for sheriff’s office personnel who perform administrative duties associated with collecting taxes.

Powell and county commissioners met last week with a representative of a company that collects delinquent taxes. The cost of the collections is added to tax bills of delinquent taxpayers. Prevatt also used private companies to collect the taxes.

Money collected by a private company would go to the sheriff’s office, requiring additional administrative duties.

At the meeting last week, Jon Watson, president of a Snellville company that collects delinquent taxes for a number of Georgia county and city governments, told commissioners, “We had her current in 2006,” in reference to Prevatt.

“We cleaned her up in ‘07. Here it is ‘08 and ‘09,” he added.

Watson said Terrell County is the only other Georgia county he knows of where the sheriff collects taxes.

Of Georgia’s 159 cities, 120 to 130 use collection services, he explained.

The sheriff has not made a decision about a collection service.

Powell said last week he would talk to other collection service representatives and probably make a decision in January.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820.