Travis County’s Veteran Tax Collector Cites Unprecedented 99 Percent
Calls On Voters to Join Her in Defeating Outside Scheme to Privatize Delinquent Tax Collection
(AUSTIN) — Having achieved the highest tax collection and voter registration rates of any major county in Texas, veteran Travis County Tax Collector Nelda Wells Spears today announced that she will be a candidate for re-election next year and called on voters to join her to defeat an ongoing effort by outside special interests to privatize the county’s over $2 billion annual collections.
“This is a big job, so let’s not waste any time on small talk,” Spears said. “Our public schools, public health, and public safety depend on a county tax collection operation that’s fair, steady, and non-partisan.”
The county’s top vote-getter during the last presidential election, Spears was first elected in 1992 and has been overwhelmingly re-elected three times.
The Travis County Tax Collector is responsible for collecting property and vehicle taxes and serves as the county’s official voter registrar. Under Ms. Spears’ leadership, the Travis County office has achieved a 99 percent tax collection rate, the state’s best, and a 94 percent voter registration rate, higher than any other major county in Texas.
As Travis County’s chief tax expert, Spears has helped lead the fight against outside special interests who continue to try to engineer a county contract to go after unpaid taxes. According to estimates by the county auditor, privatizing the county’s collection efforts would divert millions of dollars in tax revenues from public services to private attorneys’ fees and commissions.
“I’m not neutral on this issue,” Spears said. “Neutrality isn’t good enough when private law firms are trying to get their hands on scarce public resources.”
Spears manages more than 130 employees who process 1.3 million tax and fee payments each year, collect more than $2 billion in local taxes and fees, and actively register and protect the data of more than half-a-million voters.
Certified by the State Board of Tax Professional Examiners, Spears previously served as chief deputy to Tax Assessor-Collector Cecelia Burke and personnel director for State Comptroller Bob Bullock and Land Commissioner Garry Mauro.
Recognized around the state for her outstanding record as Travis County Tax Assessor, Spears was recently given the prestigious Best Practices Award for Exceptional Delivery of Services by her peers in the Texas Association of Counties Leadership Foundation. She also received the 2007 ComputerWorld Honors Laureate for the Application of the latest technology to improve access for taxpayers and small businesses.
Spears said she will ask her network of supporters throughout the county to help her launch an aggressive fundraising and outreach campaign in the days and weeks ahead. She raised a total of $2,658.64 in the four days between June 26 and June 30, the end of the most recent reporting period. According to her campaign finance report filed today with the Travis County Clerk, she has more than $2,365 cash on hand to seed the start of her re-election campaign.
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