June 23, 2026, Camden County Commission meeting at 10:00 a.m.

I attended the June 23, 2026, Camden County Commission meeting at 10:00 a.m.

All commissioners were present.

The first agenda item was “Engagement Letter for legal services – Public Administrator.”

The Public Administrator is facing an appeal in Brown v Gorsline and he plans to hire an attorney to represent his office for $425/hour.

The Commission approved this engagement letter unanimously.

The second agenda item was “Collector – M&G Land – Discuss 4^th Tax Sale Properties/Purchase.”

(In Camden County, properties are placed on auction at the County Tax Sale after they have accumulated 3 years of delinquent property taxes. Once they are offered for auction at 3 successive Tax Sales and are not purchased, they then become eligible for purchase as 4^th Tax Sale properties. This status is supposed to make them easier to sell.)

County Collector Teresa Murray, the Deputy, Collector, and her attorney spoke to the Commission.

Collector Murray began by stating that M&G Land had presented a plan [to purchase delinquent property tax 4^th tax sale properties en masse], but she was concerned that she might be sued because other investors had not been offered a similar purchase opportunity.

The attorney, Lydia McEvoy, explained that Missouri collectors are given broad statutory discretion regarding how they conduct the sales of “4^th Tax Sale” properties. According to McEvoy, different collectors across the state conduct their sales differently. Murray has an established policy. Her policy has a standard compromise price she offers and a standard waiting period before purchase. According to the attorney, Murray is supposed to be consistent or investors might claim they are being treated unfairly.

The Commission clarified that M&G Land has made an offer for all of the remaining Camden County 4^th Tax Sale properties. They want to buy them in a block. 358 properties that are carrying $1.1 million in outstanding taxes, interest, and penalties would be normally offered by the Collector for $592,000 (taxes and penalties only). It sounded like M&G Land might be offering less than that amount. Their actual offer amount was never mentioned.

Collector Murray stated she has sold delinquent properties to M&G Land before with the interest forgiven but the penalties included. No buyer has previously made an offer for all of the outstanding 4^th Tax Sale properties, but there have been inquiries about purchasing some of them.

When Commissioner Gohagan asked if they could see Murray’s “established policy”, she confessed that it was not in writing. It’s a policy her office has followed for the years she has been in office. This resulted in some classic Skelton eyebrow-raising and he seemed incredulous that the policy was not a written policy.

Skelton asked if the delinquent properties could be sold as a big block in an auction on the county courthouse steps? Maybe even with sealed bids?

Attorney McEvoy was not 100% sure if that was legal, but she admitted it seemed reasonable. The most important part to her was that the public should be notified about the offering. She also clarified that a property owner cannot be offered an opportunity to pay back the county on their own property for any amount less than the total property taxes, interest, and penalties.

One of the representatives from M&G Land pointed out that the Missouri statutes do not require the Collector to use the process she is currently using to sell the 4^th Tax Sale properties. He also said that Missouri statutes state that the title search and notice requirements do not apply to 4^th Tax Sale properties. Statutes also provide for an immediate issuance of a Collector’s Deed with no redemption period. Some of the properties they have been purchasing have as many eighteen years of past due taxes, past due HOA dues, and past due water and sewer bills.

Presiding Commissioner Skelton stressed that the Commission has no authority to intervene in this matter. The dispute is between the County Collector and the potential buyers. He did note that selling the properties would benefit the county since it would be generating property tax from properties that have not paid any taxes for years. Commissioners Gohagan and Skelton reiterated that they felt that the best solution would be to sell the block of properties by sealed bid.

Attorney Lydia McEvoy said she will work with County Collector Murray to see if there is some compromise to which both sides might agree. The public would just have to be made aware of the sale opportunity.

In Open Discussion, representatives from the Camdenton Airport wanted to inform that Commission that they would be requesting one way vehicle traffic patterns starting at 7:00 a.m. to help visitors arrive and depart from the air show that is planned for September 12, 2026.

In Old Business, Commissioner Gohagan mentioned that the security X-ray machines are due to have their warranty renewed. Currently, the detector at the Justice Center is showing error codes. The renewal will be $15,633 but it was expected that the cost would be spread across several departments. The equipment is proprietary so it can only be repaired and maintained by the vendor.

And that was that.