The campaign to clean up Robinson's tax mess will take another step this fall as the commissioners approved accepting proposals for an audit of the township's books and took steps Monday night toward collecting delinquent EMS taxes from last year.

Edward "Tex" Ritter, the newly elected treasurer and tax collector, said about 300 companies had not paid last year's $52-per-employee EMS tax, which is intended to support emergency services.

"We'll collect about $300,000 more from adding those companies," he said.

The commissioners authorized Manager Rich Charnovich and solicitor Sam Kamin to contact Central Tax Bureau, which is collecting the EMS tax this year, and ask for a proposal on collecting the delinquent tax as well.

That action comes on top of a continuing effort to collect delinquent real estate taxes. The commissioners authorized a payment in August of slightly more than $20,000 to Pennsylvania Municipal Services to cover filing fees for liens, $20 each for more than 1,000 cases. Mr. Ritter said the company had collected about $58,000 in delinquent taxes, almost three times the $22,000 that was in last year's budget.

The audit, however, should provide a broader and more complete picture of the backlog of uncollected taxes that helped get Mr. Ritter elected treasurer last year and Jerry Brouker and Stephanie Triko-Selelyo elected commissioner.

The audit will cover the entire tax office back to the years 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Mr. Brouker had, as a private citizen, been criticizing township finances and calling for an audit for years.

Over the past eight months, Mr. Ritter has turned up any number of discrepancies.The commissioners hope to hire an auditor Oct. 9.