(1) A local government may not submit a debt for collection under this article until it has given the notice required by this section and the claim has been finally determined as provided in this section.
(2) A local government, or its member organization on its behalf, shall send written notice to a debtor that the local government intends to submit the debt owed by the debtor for collection by setoff. The notice shall explain the basis for the local government’s claim to the debt, that the local government intends to apply the debtor’s refund against the debt, and that a total collection assistance fee of twenty-five percent (25%) shall be added to the debt if it is submitted for setoff. The notice shall also inform the debtor that the debtor has the right to contest the matter by filing a request for a hearing with the local government, shall state the time limits and procedures for requesting a hearing and shall state that the failure to request a hearing within the required time will result in setoff of the debt.
(3) A debtor who decides to contest a proposed setoff shall file a written request for a hearing with the local government within thirty (30) days after the date the local government mails a notice of the proposed action to the debtor. A request for a hearing is considered to be filed when it is delivered for mailing with postage prepaid and properly addressed as required in the notice provided by the local government. The governing body of the local government or a person designated by the governing body shall hold the hearing. In a hearing under this section, any civil or criminal issue that has been litigated in a court proceeding cannot be reconsidered.
(4) A decision made after a hearing under this article shall determine whether a debt is owed to the local government and the amount of the debt.
(5) Appeals from hearings held under this article shall be made to the circuit court of the county in which the debtor resides and shall be reviewed on the administrative record made at the hearing before the local government. The standard of review of such decisions shall be that established by Mississippi law pertaining to the review of all other administrative decisions made by political subdivisions.
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