The Moore County Tax Department has once again collected taxes from almost every property owner.

This is the 20th consecutive year that the collection rate exceeds 99 percent, making it one of the highest tax collection rates in North Carolina.

In the annual tax settlement, Tax Administrator Wayne Vest told the Moore County Board of Commissioners Tuesday that his office collected $56,271,806 of the adjusted 2010 levy of $56.5 million, leaving an uncollected balance of $293,893.

That amounts to a collection rate of 99.48 percent.

“We’re very pleased to continue that cycle,” Vest said.

Vest then recognized Esther Cummings, deputy tax administrator, and her staff for an exceptional job of administering collections. After thanking the staff and the commissioners for their cooperation, Vest added a word of thanks to the taxpayers themselves.

“We really appreciate the willingness of the citizens to step forward and accept their responsibility,” he said.

Commissioner Tim Lea added that the high collection rate is one of the main reasons the county tax rate has remained consistently low through the years.

Vest pledged to continue efforts to collect on delinquent accounts.

In accepting the tax settlement, the commissioners renewed their charge for the tax administrator to collect delinquent taxes from the 2010 fiscal year, then charged him to collect all real, personal, public service company and motor vehicle taxes for the 2011 year, as well as delinquent payments on those taxes.

The settlement covers real and personal property, including motor vehicles, as well as collections for municipalities. It also covers such special taxes as fire protection service districts and the countywide Advanced Life Support tax.

In other business, the board approved a contract with Pinehurst Medical Clinic for the Wellness Works program, the amount not to exceed $335,000.

Welless Works provides health care services to county employees and eligible retirees and employee dependents. Services include flu vaccinations, health risk assessment, drug screening, pre-employment assessments, workers’ compensation initial visits, return to work certification, primary health provider care plus a new service, health coaching.

Human Resources Director Denise Brook reported that the program in 2010 resulted in a cost avoidance of $113,153 to the county and another $59,649 to employees. She said employees and dependents made 2,982 visits to Wellness Works in 2010, and 330 flu shots were administered there.

Participation includes 563 employees, or 89 percent of eligible employees.

The contract provides professional staffing by Pinehurst Medical, which recently acquired the previous firm, Sanford Medical, and other services to staff the clinic. Costs are largely covered by insurance.