Private Road 6325 was approved for county maintenance by county commissioners last Tuesday, Oct. 17.

It will now be called County Road 2321.

Prec. 2 Commissioner Jerry Gaskell said the residents have been taking care of the road for a long time and have done a good job.

He said they met a request to remove some trees at a cul de sac so that emergency vehicles can turn around easier, and they added a culvert.

A number of the residents attended the public hearing, but none spoke about the matter.

The road runs through the Greystone subdivision off County Road 2320 west of State Hwy. 37, north of Mineola.

County employee health insurance premiums were approved.

The county will pay $872 per month per employee, which is 100% of the cost of the UT Health network, while those in the Christus network will pay $55.

Employee cost for a spouse is $410 for UT and $520 for Christus. It is $360 and $470 for children only and $510 and $620 for a family.

The county also pays the full $32 monthly cost for dental insurance, with a spouse $21, children $22 and families $33.

Commissioners approved the list of judges and alternates for general elections for the next year.

They also approved a contract for the Como-Pickton school district election. The district has 12 registered voters in the county.

A pair of reports from the law firm Linebarger Goggan Blair and Sampson detailed their collection efforts on delinquent taxes and unpaid fines and fees.

Attorney Richard Brand said the firm has mailed 38,643 warning letters representing $17,648,669 in unpaid property taxes for the three-year period beginning July 1, 2020.

“Every taxpayer on your delinquent roll with a current address has heard from us several times,” he said.

The firm does not like to file lawsuits unless there are no other options, he added.

In the three years, 146 petitions were filed against 290 accounts seeking collection of $406,729.

If a court judgment fails to yield results, properties are sold at tax sales.

Through May 2023 there have been 13 tax sales since May 2017 representing 447 properties and collecting $2,259,896.

Brand also presented a list of the top 20 delinquent taxpayers representing amounts from $5,129 to $30,395.

Attorney Jim Lambeth presented the fines and fees collection report.

Since the firm began contracting with the county, he said 14,000 accounts have been turned over representing $4,122,000 in unpaid fines and fees.

Some 6,900 have been collected worth $1,937,000.

The firm has sent out 61,000 letters and made 81,000 calls.

“Our goal is to bring people into court,” he said.

Commissioners held a closed session to discuss what to do with the former tax office on E. Goode St., but took no action.

The order officially lifting the ban on outdoor burning was approved. It had previously been rescinded.