Dallas County's auditor and treasurer have received an award for an innovative new program to collect delinquent taxes from vendors by withholding payments.

The Texas Association of Counties selected Dallas County's initiative for the financial/general management category of its best-practices awards. The program will be highlighted during the group's annual conference in August.

County Auditor Virginia Porter met with Treasurer Joe Wells and other county officials in November to discuss implementing the plan. The meeting came two days after a report in The Dallas Morning News identified several contractors who were delinquent in paying their property taxes.

County contracts now state that the county has the right to offset any debts, including past due taxes, by withholding payment. The new policy also requires that all county vendors provide proof that they are current with their taxes.

In December, the county hired a company that analyzes available data to make sure companies seeking contracts with the county and their owners do not owe the county taxes or fees, or have other debt.

Using a delinquent-tax database, The News found dozens of Dallas County vendors that owed back taxes, ranging from $10 to nearly a half-million dollars. The cases totaled about $3 million in taxes, penalties and interest.

A recent change in state law, which took effect Sept. 1, allows counties to withhold payment to a vendor and apply it toward a debt, which includes delinquent property taxes.

Dallas County's efforts have, as of April, resulted in $100,000 in either paid taxes or withheld payments for all taxing entities, $20,000 of which is county money. A planned analysis of 2007 delinquent tax records is estimated to generate an additional $900,000 of revenue to all taxing entities, with $100,000 going to Dallas County.