Supvs Began New Year By Addressing Garbage Exemptions

Courtesy of WRBE, Your Local HomeTown Radio...

The George County Board of Supervisors began the new year with a mostly routine agenda at their first of the month meeting on Tuesday morning. The meeting began with the approval of the claims dockets, the approvals of some upcoming travel expenses and the acceptance of the Justice Court report.
The board approved requests from Sheriff Garry Welford of the hiring of two new correctional officers at the George County Regional Correctional Facility and the hiring of two new deputies to replace two deputies who have resigned at the George County Sheriff's Department.
Following the Sheriff's report, the board heard from citizen David Short on garbage exemptions, which lead to an unscheduled workshop, following the regularly scheduled meeting.
During the workshop the supervisors questioned Tax Assessor Wilburn Bolen on the procedure of purchasing vehicle tags and paying garbage fees. Bolen explained that if that residences owes a garbage bill, the person wishing to purchase a tag must pay the garbage bill before the tag can be purchase.
Supervisor Larry Havard said that the board originally set up the senior citizen exemption to benefit the seniors. “They have paid taxes for 30 to 40 years and deserve the small break that we can give them. I don't believe we should penalize the honest to weed out those who are taking advantage of the system,” Havard protested.
Bolen said there were “too many that have learned if they say they live with Grandma, they can get that tag without having to pay that garbage bill.”
The Supervisors maintained that they “are not in favor of raising the fees of those who pay honestly, to pay for the dishonest who use exempt addresses fraudulently.” The supervisors said that for the exempt seniors who allows or approves of the dishonest practice would loss their “exempt status.”
After a lengthy discussion, the supervisors decided to maintain the policy that the senior's residence is exempt but requested that Board Attorney Robert Shepard to draw up an affidavit to be signed by the exempted senior for the exceptions to the rules, such as when a child, grandchild or other family members are actually living at the residence or even in a case of a caregiver, hired to live with the senior(s). Shepard said the affidavit could be use as a legal document in cases of fraud, and could be made available to other government agencies if requested.
Bolen also reminded the board that for everyone who turned 65 during 2006, they only have from January 1 to January 31 of 2007 to sign up for the exemption.