At the beginning of the Ross Township supervisors meeting on Monday, Chairwoman Tina Drake asked for a moment of silence in honor of Sharon Steen, who died on Nov. 22.

For about 15 years, Steen has served the township in various capacities. Most recently, she was the tax collector. Before that she was a part-time secretary and part-time planning commission secretary.

“I think we should purchase a wooden bench with a plaque as a memorial for her,” said Drake.

Vice Chairman David Shay said it was a wonderful idea and suggested ordering a few more benches to have for others’ memorials. He offered to research the topic and get prices for their next meeting.

Supervisor James Zahoroiko suggested that the supervisors make a donation in her name to the American Cancer Society. The motion passed to donate $200 to the organization in her name.

The longer conversation that occurred during the meeting was about how to handle her remaining term, which would have ended Dec. 31, and what to do about her new term, that would have begun Jan. 1.

She ran unopposed in the November election.

“You have the authority to appoint someone within 30 days,” said township solicitor Tim McManus.

The township has two options. The first is to select someone who has been a township resident for at least one year and is a registered voter.

The person does not have to have tax collecting experience initially. There is a grace period to do the job and concurrently take a tax collection class and pass it.

If anyone is interested in the tax collector job, please call the township office at 570-992-4990.

The second option is to form a tax collection partnership with a neighboring township.

When Polk Township’s tax collector Carolyn Meinhart died in June 2020, Polk and Eldred formed a partnership.

Eldred’s tax collector, Laura Hoffman, is serving as Polk’s until the term ends Dec. 31.

Hoffman was at Monday’s meeting and said she had been helping Steen for months. She knows a lot of about tax collection and has learned a lot about Ross Township.

“I love my job. I have all of the notes I took working with Sharon,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman resides in Eldred, but her home is only a few miles away from the Ross Township office. It would be easy for her to serve both townships efficiently, she said.

Hoffman has recently approached the Eldred supervisors to see if they would be interested in an Eldred-Ross joint tax collection initiative.

“They were amenable to the idea,” she said. “The two townships do not have that many parcels. It is easy for one person to do both townships.”

Her salary is based on a percentage of taxes that a township takes in annually. If the partnership occurs, Ross would pay her their percentage and Eldred would pay her their percentage.

She has an office at the Eldred Township municipal building and set hours. Polk and Eldred residents went there to pay in person or mailed their payment there. The same would occur if Ross and Eldred form a partnership.

While Drake and Zahoroiko were in favor of forming a tax partnership, Shay was in favor of the job staying within Ross Township.

“I think it should be someone who lives in this township. I do not want to take a job away from one of the residents,” he said.

Drake reminded Shay that Steen ran unopposed and that there is not a lot of time to waste.

If the tax partnership occurs, the person would be appointed to the four-year term.

Hoffman said that the township could decide to dissolve the partnership before the end of 2024, have the election in 2025 and that tax collector would start their term in 2026.

Shay made a motion to have a special meeting to discuss who to appoint as tax collector. It passed and the supervisors will meet Dec. 13 at 5 p.m.