Butler is nearing a deal to outsource its tax collection duties to Olivia W. Mathews, who performs the same function for Butler Township.

According to city council member Donald Shearer, the city cannot continue in its existing contract with Berkheimer Tax Services, due to an unresolvable technical issue that makes them unable to use new web-based tax collection software from RBA Professional Data Systems. All municipalities in Butler County are required to use RBA software after a resolution that was passed in February.

“The county has a system that we have to report to,” Shearer said. “Berkheimer is no longer a viable option because the system doesn’t talk to their system, so we have to find a different solution for the collection of those taxes.”

Shearer says that reaching out to Mathews would be easier than going through the hiring process for a new tax collector and then training them.

“We’ve had a code enforcement officer position open for nine months right now, with not a single application,” Shearer said. “I don’t want to bank our tax collection on finding somebody in a short period of time with the qualifications to do the job.”

“(Mathews is) already doing the job for the township, so she would take ours on also,” said city treasurer Linda Graham-Greek. “She’s trained in everything. We don’t have to do any training for her.”

Shearer says that contract details are still being worked out, but once they are, Mathews is expected to start Jan. 1.