{"id":22173,"date":"2021-06-07T10:48:11","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T14:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=22173"},"modified":"2021-06-07T10:48:11","modified_gmt":"2021-06-07T14:48:11","slug":"videos-insolvent-tax-list-tabled-lowndes-co-dev-auth-reappointments-subdivision-infrastructure-wine-license-radios-bottled-water-trucks-clothes-washers-mowers-tractors-backup-generator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2021\/06\/videos-insolvent-tax-list-tabled-lowndes-co-dev-auth-reappointments-subdivision-infrastructure-wine-license-radios-bottled-water-trucks-clothes-washers-mowers-tractors-backup-generator.html","title":{"rendered":"Videos: Insolvent tax list tabled, Lowndes Co. Dev. Auth. Reappointments, subdivision infrastructure, wine license, radios, bottled water, trucks, clothes washers, mowers, tractors, backup generator"},"content":{"rendered":"

\r\n\r\nTwo weeks ago at their May 25, 2021, Regular Session<\/a>, Lowndes County Commissioners unanimously approved everything\r\nexcept one agenda item.\r\nThey tabled Tax Commissioner Rodney V. Cain’s request to write off $437,823.30 in insolvent taxes.\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"Insolvent<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nAt the Monday, May 24, 2021, Work Session, Cain said the insolvent taxes were\r\nbecause the seven-year statute of limitations had been exceeded,\r\nor property had been moved out of the county.\r\nHe said Gander Mountain accounted for half of the total.\r\n(I compute that at \r\n\r\nslightly less than 40%<\/a>.)\r\nThis item is back on\r\n\r\nthe agenda<\/a>\r\nfor this morning’s Work Session and voting Tuesday evening, June 8, 2021.\r\n

\r\nAt that previous Work Session,\r\nCain seemed rather vague about details such as how much might need to be written off next year.\r\nHe also did not say why he had not dealt with this earlier,\r\neven though he was first elected in November 2016<\/a>.\r\n(His opponent in that election, Felicia Williams, is now an\r\nappointed Tax Assessor<\/a>.)\r\n

\r\nIn response to questions from more than one County Commissioner,\r\nCain did say most Tax Commissioners deal with this annually,\r\nand he plans to do that from now on.\r\n

\r\nCain previously made statewide news for\r\n\r\n charging fees to cities and the county.\r\nErin M. Schilling and\r\nAnila P. Yoganathan, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 13, 2019,\r\n\r\nGeorgia’s elected tax commissioners get thousands in undeclared\r\n‘fees’<\/a>,\r\n

\r\n

\r\nIn Lowndes County, Tax Commissioner Rodney Cain has no written\r\ncontract with the four cities for which he collects taxes, and he\r\ncharges each one a different fee, from 56 cents to $1.30 per parcel\r\nin 2018. Under this informal arrangement, the county does not\r\nreceive any compensation for the work.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nCain received more than $31,000 in fees in 2018 for collecting city\r\ntaxes, on top of his county salary of more than $90,000.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n“I send them a bill and they promptly send me a check,”\r\nCain said. “I am very fair and reasonable with them and they\r\nunderstand that.”\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nCain also made national news for waiving penalties and fees.\r\nAssociated Press, 25 May 2020,\r\n\r\nCounty Investigates Tax Collector for Wrongly Waiving Fees<\/a>,\r\n

\r\n

\r\nVALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) — A south Georgia tax collector has been\r\nwaiving penalties and interest for some residents and not others,\r\neven though county commissioners had told him to stop.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nThe Valdosta Daily Times reports Lowndes County Tax Commissioner\r\nRodney Cain waived almost $3 million in penalties and interest owed\r\nthe the county.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nOn August 25, 2020, the County Commission passed a\r\n\r\nResolution Repealing Approvals Authorizing the Tax Commissioner to Waive Penalties and Interest<\/a>.\r\n

\r\nFYI, only the Governor can remove a Tax Commissioner,\r\nthe County Commission cannot do that,\r\nbecause the Tax Commissioner is elected.\r\n

\r\nBelow are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item of that 2021-05-24 Work Session.\r\nSee also\r\n\r\nthe agenda and the board packet<\/a>,\r\nas well as\r\nthe\r\nminutes<\/a>.\r\n