City hires warrant collection firm
Houston County Courier - December 2007
By Daphne Hereford
Managing Editor

Crockett city fathers voted unanimously Monday night, Dec. 3 to enter into an agreement with a firm to collect outstanding city warrants and citations.
According to the agreement, American Municipal Services (AMS) will add a 30 percent collection fee to the amount a defendant owes the city for offenses committed after June 30, 2003.
For offenses committed prior to that date, the city will pay the firm a collection fee of 17 percent.
City Administrator Ron Duncan said there were two firms interviewed and AMS had a good tract record of collecting on old warrants.
"Any money we receive is money gained and not money lost," Duncan said.
Duncan said the defendant would pay the city directly and in turn the city would pay AMS for their services.
Responding to a question by Councilman James Hall, Crockett Police Chief Jimmy Fisher said there were about 600 outstanding warrants.
Fisher also said, "There is a new federal law that just came out that if a person is indigent it is up to the city to arrange a payment plan."
In other business, following a public hearing, council approved with a 4-1 vote a request from J. Patrick Walker for a zone change on property located on East Houston Avenue from R3 to manufacturing.
Councilman Hall voted against the measure saying he had concerns with the manufacturing designation. He said he would prefer seeing the property remain R3 with a specific use permit allowing construction of the medical facility planned by Walker.
Following a second public hearing, council unanimously approved a request from Eligha Walker and Hosea Dolphus to rezone 1.35 acres on Navarro Road from AR to C2 for a mortuary.