ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOX) - A recently hired tax collector for St. Louis County has failed to pay personal property taxes since 2008, and her boss is still protecting her.

Director of Revenue Eugene Leung says Collector Stacy Bailey had a catastrophic emergency a few years ago, that cause her to file for bankruptcy.

“So she’s in bankruptcy, and under chapter 13 her taxes are being paid,” he said.

He says despite her personal problems, she was the most qualified person for the job, having worked for five years with the Metropolitan Sewer District as an accounts receivable supervisor. She has a masters in business administration, and subsequently has a considerable amount of student loan debt too.

Together she and her husband owe more than $85,000 in student loans; she’ll be paying those off on top of her nearly $900 a month in bankruptcy settlement.