They are not a Bridgeport company. For that matter, they are not a West Virginia company.

 

The company in question, however, has provided the City of Bridgeport with a nice revenue stream at a time when revenues are desperately needed. And according to City Manager Randy Wetmore, Bridgeport is not the only state municipality benefitting from their services.

 

DataMax, based out of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was brought on board to work with the city at the recommendation of Bridgeport Finance Director Monica Musgrave. Wetmore said the decision proved to be a good one.

 

What does the company do?

 

“We employed their firm to go out and look for businesses that may not be paying their B&O tax,” said Wetmore. “When they find that person and make the collection, they get 50 percent of the amount for two years of whatever they collect. After that, the full amount comes to the city.”

 

How much has DataMax collected in the roughly seven months working? Wetmore told members of Bridgeport City Council the company has produced $137,000 of B&O dollars that likely would not have been collected. Of that total, $68,500 now is resting in city coffers.

 

“When Council entered into the agreement, it was a good decision because there was not outlay of funds,” said Wetmore. “The revenue received is generated by DataMax in their ability to find those not paying B&O they should be paying

 

“They’re good at it, and have a history of assisting in West Virginia,” Wetmore continued. “They are doing work in other cities, such as Morgantown, and helping produce much-needed revenue.”

 

For those wondering why the city does not keep track of the B&O taxes, they do. However, a lot of businesses do not go through proper protocols when doing work in Bridgeport and limited staff does not allow for the city to go after everyone.

 

“We have two people trying to keep track of that. What makes it cumbersome is there are many businesses coming from out of town that may be here once a month, every two weeks, or every other month,” said Wetmore. “To have enough staff to find all of those businesses would be difficult and expensive with no guarantee you would find the money. They are experts at finding these businesses.”

 

Wetmore said their experience in the Mountain State is also a benefit. Because they have had a presence in the state, as well as in the region, they know where the businesses not paying their taxes can be found and that has helped the process.

 

“The average to this point is about $10,000 a month,” the city manager said. “With revenues struggling, this is welcome on the revenue front. We’re glad Monica wanted to do this because it’s a good thing.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows City Manager Randy Wetmore, while Finance Director Monica Musgrave is in the bottom photo.