South Londonderry Township votes to switch from county tax collector service

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The South Londonderry Board of Supervisors voted 2-1 at the June 10 meeting to switch their tax collection service from the Lebanon County Treasurer’s Office to Keystone Collections Group, pending solicitor approval.

Supervisor William Bova voted against the motion.

Township manager John Eberly said the county did their taxes for one year but was no longer interested in including the Mount Gretna sewer taxes on bills sent to residents. This led the township to look for other ways of managing tax collection.

Eberly said Keystone Collections Group would cover annual billings for real estate and streetlight taxes, and it could also incorporate sewer bills if the township “would deem it necessary to add that.”

John Pinkerton, with Keystone Collections Group, attended the meeting to answer questions from the board. He said they will print and send the bills, and taxpayers will be able to pay either online or through the mail. He said reports of payment will go to the township at least once a month, though possibly more often during the busier tax season.

Keystone handles school district taxes for several Lebanon County school districts, and Pinkerton said they have several municipality contracts as well.

Bova asked Pinkerton several questions throughout his presentation. He said he has heard from others that the company is very responsive to townships and school districts, but it’s not as responsive to individual taxpayers who reach out with concerns.

“I don’t feel your customer service with people — and I was on Palmyra school board and I’ve had personal interactions with you guys as well as family members — I don’t think you’re very responsive to our people,” Bova said.

He noted that collectors are not elected officials, so residents with concerns would not be able to rectify the issue by voting them out of the position.

The contract would be for three years with an auto-renewal for one year, Pinkerton said.

“I’m uncomfortable with that,” Bova responded. “If people are complaining, there should be a rubric or metrics that, if people are complaining about your customer service, because that’s us at that point, there should be an out.”

Pinkerton said they have 35 to 40 taxpayer service representatives available throughout the day, taking calls. He said all calls are recorded, and the company has shared complaints and information with townships to straighten out disputes.

He also said they do a three-year contract because it allows them to give an “economic solution at the beginning” while they are gathering assessment data and creating the bills.

This economic solution, according to Eberly, is “very consistent” with what the township paid the county office.

“That was one of the things that we looked at on that,” he said.

The board’s approval is pending the township solicitor’s review and comments.

In other business, supervisors:

• Approved two conditional police department hires.
• Voted to advertise revised nuisance and curfew ordinances.
• Voted 2-1, with supervisor Faith Bucks dissenting, to advertise a vacant municipal authority vacancy. There have been several people in this position over the past few years, but they have not stuck around long-term. Bucks said her vote was because she thinks the authority should function with one fewer worker, as they managed previously.
• Voted for Tracy Nornhold with the Western Lebanon County Emergency Management Agency to be the new EMA coordinator.

The South Londonderry Township Board of Supervisors will meet next at 27 W. Market St. on July 8 at 7 p.m.