Resident requests info on collections agency

Amherst leaders received a public records request and heard about income tax collections. PAGE A6

An Amherst resident requested copies of public records pertaining to the city’s agreement with the city of Cleveland Central Collection Agency Dec. 10 at a city council meeting.

John Mowcomber requested a copy of the latest signed agreement between the city and CCA, directions provided by the city to the agency regarding any delinquency program that could be executed for Amherst, and statements of monthly receipts from the agency from 2016-18.

Mowcomber requested additional information because he said he does not believe the service is worth risking confidentiality and mistakenly sending out letters threatening jail time to those who already have paid taxes.

Amherst Treasurer Richard Ramsey said 20 to 25 letters mistakenly were sent to residents in South Amherst and Amherst Township because some addresses were identical with Amherst residents who did not file taxes with the city.

Streets such as South Lake Street and Church Street can have multiple identical addresses down to the zip code.

“In response to the error, we put a notice up on our website,” he said. “We had CCA send out corrective letters, I believe.

“We expressed our concerns to CCA in as professional terms as we could, and more importantly, we spoke to anybody who came in or called.”

The city worked with the Central Collection Agency to eliminate South Amherst and Amherst Township addresses that were falsely identified.

The city provides names, addresses and Social Security numbers to the Central Collection Agency, which remits very little information back to the city, Ramsey said.

A secure portal is used for the city and the Central Collection Agency to communicate and transmit information. The total net funds the city of Amherst has earned this year thus far is $57.50, and more money is expected to come in, Ramsey said.

Also, the city identified 600 to 700 residents who have not filed with the city at any point since 2013.