We appreciate the men and women who step up and fulfill the role of tax collector within our municipalities.

Most of these individuals are hardworking citizens who do an outstanding job, however, we have had instances over the years in which some tax collectors have taken advantage of the current law and used it to steal money from the people they are supposed to be serving.

Some examples of this type of crime are the $1.4 million stolen in Baden Borough in Beaver County between 2007 and 2015, and $300,000 stolen from Spring Garden Township in York County between 1995 and 2009 from tax collectors.

The main issue is that the current Local Tax Collection Law does not specify how taxes are to be paid, so it is left to individual tax collectors to determine what they want written on any checks collected for the payment of taxes and what account the tax money is to be deposited. This means a tax collector can have a taxpayer write a check in only the tax collector’s name and unwittingly deposit it his or her personal bank account.

My bill, House Bill 16, which was approved by the House and now goes to the Senate, would require checks to be made payable to the name of the tax collector along with the office, title, or position and be deposited into a separate bank account only used for tax money. The practice of making checks payable to only an individual’s name would be prohibited.

By changing how checks from taxpayers are made out and ensuring the money goes into the correct account, I believe this legislation will give municipalities and taxpayers an added layer of protection by ensuring their tax dollars go where they are intended.

Over in the Senate, there is a new chairman of the Senate Local Government Committee - Sen. Scott Wagner of York County who has been more receptive to addressing this issue then the previous chairman.

Therefore, I am hopeful we can get this bill over the finish line this year.

My legislation would create a common sense, simple fix that will provide better protection of our tax dollars.

***

Editor’s note: State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie represents the 134th Legislative District which includes: Alburtis, Lower Macungie Township, Macungie, Salisbury Township (Wards 4 and 5) and South Whitehall (Districts 3 and 4) in Lehigh County; and Hereford, Longswamp, Richmond and Rockland townships, and Topton borough in Berks County.