There shall be established in the Department of Finance a Division of Taxation, the head of which shall be the City Collector of Taxes. The Collector shall give a surety bond for the faithful performance of his or her duties including compliance with all controlling provisions of State Law bearing upon the functions of his or her office in a sum of which shall be fixed by the Council, but in no event shall the amount be less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) the cost to be borne by the City The Council, by ordinance, may contract with the Cass County Appraisal District, or its successor agency, to provide services in connection with the assessment and collection of taxes. In such event, the director of the Cass County Appraisal District or its successor agency shall be designated the City Collector of Taxes.
All taxes due the City shall be payable at the office of the Collector and may be paid at any time after the tax rolls for the year have been completed and approved, which shall not be later than October 1. Taxes shall be paid before February 1 of the next year and all such taxes not paid prior to such date shall be deemed delinquent and shall be subject to such penalty and interest as the Council may provide by ordinance. Unless otherwise provided by the Council by ordinance, the amount of the penalty and the rate of interest shall be as set by the Texas Tax Code for ad valorem taxes within the State of Texas. The Council may by ordinance provide a discount for current taxes paid prior to January 1st, of the following year, and may exempt from taxation an amount, to be established by the Council by ordinance, for homesteads, and an additional amount for the homesteads of the elderly, disabled veterans, and the surviving spouses of disabled veterans.
The City Collector shall foreclose the tax liens on all property before the same shall be barred by limitation The tax liens shall be foreclosed in accordance with the provisions of the Revised Civil Statutes of Texas as now or hereafter amended.