During this year’s tax sale Aug. 30, the county took 917 parcels to the sale and collected $490,000, compared to last year’s sale, when 977 parcels were sold for $338,000.

The sign of troublesome economic times is evident at the yearly tax sales. While there wasn’t much of a difference between 2009 and 2010, there was a big jump from the 2008 tax sale when 517 parcels sold for $172,612. (September 7, 2010, Page 1)