The Indianola Board of Aldermen voted unanimously last Monday to hire Mississippi Court Collections Inc. to pursue thousands of dollars in delinquent municipal court debts, after a detailed presentation from the city’s court clerk and representatives of the Brandon-based firm.
Meeting at the City Hall Annex on March 23, Mayor Ken Featherstone and all five aldermen heard Municipal Court Clerk Teresa Nolden describe the city’s backlog of unpaid fines and fees and her recommendation to bring in the outside collection agency. Nolden said aging accounts — including files for deceased defendants and people who have moved — have made it difficult for staff to reconcile the court’s books or locate many defendants who owe money.
Nolden introduced David Clark and Patrick Spencer of Mississippi Court Collections, which she said works exclusively with Mississippi governmental entities to collect mobile home taxes, personal property taxes, justice court debts and municipal court debts. “We have a considerable amount of debt through the municipal court,” Nolden told the board, adding that she believes the company can help “clean up our records” by confirming which debts are still collectible and which should be closed.
Clark told aldermen the company was founded in 2002 and has long focused on Mississippi counties, including Sunflower County, and is now expanding its work with cities. He said the firm’s “sweet spot” is a close working relationship with local court staff, describing the arrangement as a partnership where his staff and Nolden’s office “treat each other like we’re in the next office.”
Under questioning from the mayor and board, Clark said state law allows an added assessment of 25% on in-state debts and 50% on debts owed by out-of-state defendants, such as motorists who receive DUIs while passing through the city. He said those surcharges are paid by defendants and constitute the company’s fee, emphasizing that “it doesn’t cost you a dime of your original debt” because the city receives 100% of the underlying fine amount.
Nolden clarified that all money collected would first be remitted to the city, with Mississippi Court Collections then invoicing the city for its percentage at the end of each month. Clark added that the company cannot bill the city unless it has actually collected funds, and that it often performs what he called “free housekeeping services” by confirming deaths, address changes and other factors that allow local courts to close out uncollectible old accounts.
Ward 5 Alderman Rodreigus Young asked Clark to explain how much the firm typically recovers over time, using a hypothetical amount of $75,000 in collections. Clark responded that, when cities treat the company as a full partner and make use of its record-cleaning services, overall resolution rates — including closed-out uncollectible cases — can reach “upwards of 50 percent,” compared to a national collection average he placed at about 11 to 12 %
City Attorney Mack Arthur Turner raised several legal concerns he said the board should weigh before signing the proposed agreement. Turner noted that, as drafted, the contract would run through June 30, 2028, effectively committing the city for roughly two years and allowing the company continued access to city court records for one year after any termination of the agreement.
“I’m not sure if that’s standard for a company to still have access to city records and files a year after the contract was ended,” Turner told officials, adding that his primary concern was protecting confidential information once a vendor is no longer working for the city. Clark said he was not familiar with the specific termination language but promised to consult General Manager Bill Harrington and “see what the language is,” saying the company strives to be “really easy to do business with” and open to adjustments that make local leaders comfortable.
Nolden, responding to Turner’s concerns, stressed that the city would only pay the firm from money it actually collects from defendants and that the flow of funds would remain under city control. She also contrasted the new proposal with a previous arrangement the city had with a different firm, which she said had produced little in the way of collections and was terminated at her request.
Young, who described himself as “young” on the board and eager to understand the long-term implications, asked whether the city would still owe the company money if it cancelled the contract early. Clark replied that the firm would only be entitled to payment based on money it had already collected, explaining that all funds would continue to be routed through City Hall and that the firm would not have an independent claim beyond its percentage of recovered debts.
The court clerk said she has already spoken with the company’s leadership and believes they will be “a great partnership” for Indianola, particularly in tracking residents who frequently change addresses or phone numbers and fail to appear in court. “Right now, if I make a phone call, they’ll have this phone number today — tomorrow, we won’t be able to get in contact with them,” Nolden said, adding that outstanding warrants and mounting unpaid fines continue to grow without an effective collection strategy.
Clark cautioned officials that any new revenue would not appear overnight, saying the company typically needs about 60 days after the city signs a contract to receive electronic files and begin sending letters. He estimated that the first noticeable revenue could arrive within three to four months of implementation, after the firm staggers mailings and follow-up contacts to avoid overwhelming court staff with a sudden surge of calls and walk-ins.
Before the vote, Ward 4 Alderman Johnny Phillips directly asked Nolden if she was “absolutely sure that this company would be a big asset” to the municipal court. “Yes, sir,” she replied, telling the board that her confidence is based on her discussions with the company’s leaders and her assessment of the court’s urgent need to reconcile its books.
Turner reiterated his concern that the contract did not contain explicit opt-out language for the city before its June 2028 expiration, but he acknowledged that the agreement otherwise resembled a standard collections contract. He said the question for the board was whether it was comfortable allowing a private company continued access to court records after an early termination, even if the city owed no direct payments outside of collected fees.
After discussion, Young moved to approve the contract with Mississippi Court Collections, and Phillips seconded the motion. On a roll-call vote, all five aldermen — Young, Phillips, Alex Deason, Keith Spealman and Calvin Moton — voted in favor, and the measure passed 5–0.
Clark and Spencer thanked the board and clerk for their support and left the podium as Featherstone announced that the motion had carried. The city will now work with Nolden’s office and the company to transmit court data and begin the months-long process of contacting defendants and cleaning up the municipal court’s debt records.
