The county commissioners on Wednesday approved resolutions requiring each of the 57 tax collectors in the county to use new collection software and increasing their compensation.

Under one resolution, the tax collectors are required to use software from RBA Professional Data Systems to collect 2025 county, municipal and school district real estate taxes.

RBA’s online, web-based software is replacing current software that is no longer supported and “technically obsolete,” said Mark Gordon, county chief of economic development and planning.

He said the county provided the tax collectors with training to use the new software. Seven training sessions were held in January and February, according to the resolution.

The pay raise resolution applies only to the county property taxes the tax collectors collect.

They will be paid $4.25 for each of the first 5,000 tax cards they issue, $2.25 for every card beginning with the number 5,001 and $5.50 for every supplemental or interim tax card billed, according to the resolution.

No collector will receive less than $575 a year, and each collector is required to send reminder letters for unpaid county taxes by Dec. 1 every year.

The new compensation amounts for tax collectors remain in effect through 2029. The rates were last set by resolution in 2021.

The $4.25 rate for the first 5,000 tax cards and the $2.25 for every card beginning with the number 5,001 reflect 25-cent increases, Gordon said.

In other business, the commissioners approved an $865 one-year planned maintenance agreement with The Verdin Company, of Cincinnati, for the clock tower of the courthouse.

Facilities and operations director Mike Hillwig said the clock’s gear boxes, drives and hands have been replaced over the last couple years, and the contract is needed for preventive maintenance of the gear boxes.

“It’s our landmark in our county,” Hillwig said.

The commissioners accepted a $7,233 incentive offer from First Energy for replacing old equipment with high-efficiency equipment. The county installed a variable speed fan, computer room air conditioning units and lighting controls in the register of wills and information technology offices.

The commissioners also approved new officers for the Butler county Federated Library system. Leann Blakso, of the Prospect Community Library, is president; Rob Vigue, of the Mars Area Public Library, is vice president; Stephanie Reese, of the Cranberry Public Library, is treasurer and Lisa Adomalitis, of the Evans city Public Library, is secretary.