Commissioners weigh tax‑sale administrative fees and bidder fees; draft measures to council or tabled for research

County staff brought forward two related measures Dec. 1: an ordinance (2025‑36) to create a $25 lien administrative fee (with $5 to the vendor and $20 to a nonreverting fund) to help the auditor's office recover processing costs, and a draft (2025‑37) to establish a tax‑sale bidder fee.

Staff explained the lien administration ordinance had been discussed earlier and the draft adds a fund number and language for how the fee would be used. On the tax‑sale bidder fee, commissioners expressed concern that the draft statutory fees (for example $25 for one property or $100 for multiple properties) were too low and discussed higher deterrent approaches such as prequalification deposits in the hundreds or thousands of dollars. One commissioner referenced Marion County's practice of requiring a deposit; staff said they would research other counties' approaches before moving an item to county council.

Action taken: Commissioners introduced the lien administrative fee ordinance and tabled or directed additional research on the tax‑sale bidder fee, with the understanding that some elements may require county council approval and further statutory analysis.

Why it matters: Tax‑sale and lien fees affect how the county recovers administrative costs and the behavior of bidders at tax sales; higher bidder deposits were discussed as a tool to reduce speculative or low‑value bidding and to offset county expenses associated with tax sales.

Next steps: Staff and the auditor will research other counties' fee structures and legal citations (Indiana code references were discussed) and return recommendations; the tax‑sale bidder fee may be refined and taken to county council for final action.