CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Kanawha County tax officials may hire a collection agency to go after deadbeat taxpayers.

Chief Tax Deputy Allen Bleigh said uncollected taxes amount to $1.5 million to $2 million a year. The county's total uncollected tax tickets amount to $10 million since 2005.

Tax officials are allowed to go back five years to try to force deadbeat taxpayers to pay their taxes.

"We are trying every avenue we can," said Bleigh.

He said tax officials have been suing taxpayers in circuit court to try to force them to pay, but the effort isn't always worth it. Half of the county's unpaid tax tickets are for less than $90, he said.

But tax officials may try a new way to go after delinquent taxpayers. Members of the Kanawha County Commission are expected to vote today on a request for proposal to see if debt collection agencies would be interested in helping the county collect back taxes.

Bleigh said it might be cheaper for a collection agency to fight deadbeat taxpayers than the county.

Between letters, lawsuits and debt collectors, Bleigh hopes to get at least half of the $10 million in uncollected back taxes paid. He acknowledged some of the bills will likely never be paid.

Bleigh said some of the county's biggest uncollected tax tickets are from businesses that are no longer operating. Union Stamping & Assembly Inc. in South Charleston owes almost $500,000, but is bankrupt and unable to pay, he said.

He said other large unpaid tax tickets are from fly-by-night business owners who set up companies that went out of business after a year or two, never intending to pay their taxes.

County officials are also making an effort to crack down on taxpayers who intentionally write bad checks to pay for their taxes or fees. Since January 2009, 201 bad tickets have been collected for a total of $57,414.03.

Tax officials are still trying to get taxpayers to make good on 115 other bad checks.

Reach Rusty Marks at rustyma...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1215.