According to county records, nearly $3 million in Jefferson County business property taxes haven't been collected because there aren't enough agents on staff to recoup the money.
Tax collector J.T. Smallwood says the bankrupt county has no tax agents in Birmingham and has one in the Bessemer Division.
According to the tax collector's office, Jefferson County has missed out on $570,000 in 2013 because of uncollected taxes. The county did collect $560 million during the last fiscal year.
Smallwood says the county has requested an agent for the Birmingham and Bessemer districts for the 2014 budget year, which begins Oct. 1.
The problem of uncollected taxes is compounded by the rising number of businesses that are listed as insolvent — which reached more than 4,500 as of July 17.