Some Vicksburg businesses could soon be served with warrants for unpaid taxes.

Warren County Tax Collector Toni Flaggs-Jones told the Board of Supervisors during their regular meeting Monday morning that there are just under 100 who are on the delinquent tax rolls for 2016.

Flaggs-Jones said her office has made diligent efforts to collect the delinquent property taxes. The two rolls presented to the supervisors were city-only and city and county.

“At this point, the list will be turned over to the sheriff’s department and they will serve warrants to the individuals whose taxes have not been paid,” Flaggs-Jones said. Another copy will be turned over to the Circuit Clerk’s office, which will file a judgment against the individual or business for unpaid taxes.

Flaggs-Jones said that those in delinquency have previously been given a certified letter “letting them know they have 30 days to comply” in paying their taxes.

Board President Richard George asked Flaggs-Jones how the county did in collecting delinquent taxes in 2015.

“To be honest, I’m not sure if those warrants were ever issued,” Flaggs-Jones said.  “Because normally once the warrants are issued we get an influx of phone calls and a large response from businesses that simply forgot. Most of these on here are repeat offenders that just don’t pay year after year. Generally, the ones that simply forgot, once those warrants are served, they immediately come in and take care of the delinquent taxes. But we haven’t had a big response for the 2015 tax rolls.”

Flaggs-Jones said that once the warrants are served “it kind of spreads like wild fire.”

“Once they see someone from the sheriff’s department at one business, the word gets out,” Flaggs-Jones said. “The business owners are usually calling us because they know it’s that time of the year. Last year, we did not get any of those phone calls. We did not get very many personal property taxes collected after we turned that roll over.”

Asked if someone besides the sheriff’s department could serve the warrants, Flaggs-Jones said that she believes so “but we would have to pay someone to serve the warrants.”

“Several years ago, I got an opinion from the Attorney General’s office that said this is the duty of the sheriff’s department,” Flaggs-Jones said.

Flaggs-Jones said some of those on the delinquent list are on payment schedules. She said there is one business that had owed ten years in back taxes and since she took office has been able to whittle it down to the current year being outstanding.

“He should be paid in full by this year,” Flaggs-Jones said.

Those wanting more information or to pay their back taxes can call the Warren County Tax Collector’s office at 601-638-6181 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.