Case Study: Shelby County Trustee achieves $30.9M in delinquent tax collections ($2.9M over projection) with FICO Consulting

Shelby County Trustee - Customer Case Study

The Office of the Shelby County Trustee (Tennessee) sought to improve tax collections and fully leverage its recently deployed Debt Manager technology. Although initial implementation boosted collections, leaders realized they weren’t using the system’s full capabilities and needed outside expertise to refine their collections philosophy and processes.

FICO Consulting analyzed historic data and recommended a “last in, first collected” approach—targeting more recent delinquencies, implementing Debt Manager queries, and piloting timely text-message outreach. The changes drove a 10% increase in collected property taxes year-over-year, $30.9 million in delinquent taxes collected ($2.9 million more than projected), a modest drop in interest/penalty revenue, and a highly successful text campaign that yielded $315,301 from a $469 spend (672% ROI).

Shelby County Trustee

Debra Gates

Chief Administrative Officer