Sawyer County’s treasurer told the Finance Committee that the county’s 2020 delinquent-tax enforcement process is moving forward and that the number of affected parcels has declined from earlier counts after some property owners paid outstanding amounts.

The update matters because foreclosures and tax-collection enforcement affect property owners and county tax collections. The treasurer said the county filed a notice of commencement in the interim process to foreclose on lands with 2020 delinquent taxes and set a redemption date of July 11 and a court date of Aug. 11.

According to the treasurer’s report, the county had 37 parcels in the process earlier in the year; that list dropped to 29 at filing and later to 14 as payments came in. The treasurer said payments in lieu of taxes received from municipalities totaled about $20,600 as of the end of April.

The treasurer said people have been coming in to pay and “getting caught up,” and that the process is “headed in the right direction.” No additional formal actions were taken at the meeting on the foreclosures.