Angela Schwartz was sworn in as the Polk Township tax collector on Feb. 7 and is getting a home office and forthcoming computer ready for her new role.

In November, she was the Democratic candidate against Republican candidate Robert Butler.

“My husband, Keith, and I did a fair amount of campaigning. We had signs everywhere. We visited more than 500 households to campaign,” Schwartz said Tuesday.

Despite their efforts, the election went in favor of Butler.

He had a certain amount of time to take a tax collection class, pass its exam and secure bonding through a financial institution.

The class and the exam were the easy part, Butler said last month at a township supervisors’ meeting.

Due to a medical emergency and personal matter, his damaged credit history jeopardized his ability to get bonded by the supervisors’ Feb. 1 deadline.

Butler resigned from the position and the township reached out to Schwartz to see if she was still interested in the position.

“She seemed like the logical choice. I know she is capable of completing big projects,” said Brian Ahner, Polk Township chairman and roadmaster.

Ahner is on the board of the Monroe County Youth Field Day, in which Schwartz is a volunteer. She is the public relations director and registrar.

“I am looking forward to working with the people and getting to know them,” she said.

She has a teaching degree and plans to continue substitute teaching for Pleasant Valley as her time permits.

“I will be doing all the taxes - the school tax, county tax and municipality tax,” she said. “Spring taxes will be mailed out Feb. 28. The 2% discount tax is due April 30 and base tax is due June 30.”

The 10% penalty period is July 1 through Dec. 31, 2022.

The spring is the county and township taxes, and fall taxes are for the school district and library, she explained.

Laura Hoffman will be her deputy tax collector. Ahner said Schwartz has met with Hoffman for some initial training.

Hoffman is very familiar with Polk Township. She was appointed Polk Township tax collector after the death of Carolyn Meinhart in June 2020. Hoffman is Eldred Township’s tax collector, so it formed a tax collection district with Polk until the end of 2021.

Schwartz was born and raised in Connecticut. She and Keith wed in 2001. They have a daughter, Autumn, who is in fifth grade at Pleasant Valley Intermediate.

Schwartz has been a township resident since 2003.

She has set up her tax collection office in her in-laws’ house, 112 Mertz Road, Kunkletown, while a shed in her own yard nearby gets renovated into office space.

The ability for residents to pay their tax bill online via credit card will be an option soon.

“I am working to get online payment set up as soon as possible. It costs a percentage if paying with credit card and $2 flat fee if paying by electronic check,” she said.

For now, residents can mail it to her at P.O. Box 747, Kresgeville, PA, 18333 or bring it to her office.

Her receiving office hours are Tuesdays, 2-6 p.m.; Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon; Thursdays, 1-4 p.m. Residents may book an appointment for other times by calling or texting her at 570-242-9589. Her email is A.Schwartz@polktaxcollector.com.