St. Joseph County delinquent tax fund summarized

St. Joseph County’s township supervisors were given a detailed summary of the county’s delinquent-tax fund during their quarterly gathering last week at White Pigeon’s township office.
County administrator Pat Yoder was a guest at Thursday’s township supervisors meeting. The delinquent-tax account is one of a few matters he was asked to speak about.
He said the county over the past three years has given Southwest Michigan First more than $780,000 through money available in the delinquent-tax fund, which has a current balance in excess of $17 million.
Other activities through which delinquent-tax funds were put to use include hiring new deputies in 2012 and a $1 million payment to the MERS retirement system for the sheriff’s department administration.
Yoder said members of the county board have made clear the funds won’t be used for road repairs.