In a dramatic turnaround for a town that had more than $200,000 in outstanding property tax liens last year, Dobbins Heights has already collected more than it budgeted for this year.

“Last year, we didn’t advertise our tax list in the newspaper, so we put up the tax list for the prior and present year on the windows of town hall,” said Dobbins Heights Tax Official Kathryn Adams. “That way, you could walk up and see who owed taxes, how much they owed and for what years they owed.”

She said the somewhat unconventional approach to tax collection was effective, but the town is going to advertise delinquent tax notices in the Daily Journal this year.

As of March 31, Adams said the town has already collected more taxes than it budgeted for.

The town had projected more than $48,200 in taxes this year. It has already collected more than $49,800.

That’s not because taxpayers are paying more than they owe, but that the town was bound by law to take into account it’s tax collection history when estimating for the new budget. The Dobbins Heights rate was 61 percent. Other municipal governments in Richmond County have a tax collect rate of between 96 and 98 percent

Mayor Antonio Blue was unavailable for comment Wednesday, but during the dedication of a new garbage truck for Dobbins Heights in November he pointed out the town’s efforts to collect the unpaid taxes led to the quality-of-life improvement for its citizens.

“You all know the things we went through trying to get a garbage truck earlier this year,” Blue said. “It still was a blessing, because people started paying their taxes, and we got our revenue up. So, what might have seemed bad worked out for our good.”

State law requires that municipalities advertise their unpaid tax list, but there is no penalty if they don’t. The issue was the topic of a number of stories and editorials in the Daily Journal. Unlike all other municipalities in Richmond County, Dobbins Heights hadn’t advertised their bad debts since 1998.

By last year, the town was owed $202,000. The figure built year by year from $4,866 in 1999 on up to $30,746 in 2008. That compares to the annual town budget of $283,000.

Despite the town’s newfound success in collections, Adams said its tax department isn’t resting on the laurels of one good year.

“We are trying to get our collection rate up, and we do have a payment plan taxpayers can take advantage of, as well,” Adams said. “If we have to put people’s names in the window in order to get our taxpayers to pay their bills, we’ll do it again.”

The tax listing will be published in the Daily Journal on May 12.

Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.