Lincoln County supervisors address trash cans, taxes

Published 4:59 pm Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Trash cans and taxes were the primary topics of discussion at the most recent meeting of the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors.

In response to requests for clarification on distribution of blue rolling trash cans, Board President Eddie Brown and Lincoln County Tax Assessor/Collector Blake Pickering reiterated to those present that rumors of $8 monthly fees for use of cans are incorrect.

The cans, distributed by a contractor for Arrow Disposal Service Inc., are provided one per household covered in the cost of solid waste pickup. The fee increased $1.50 per month for each account. Account holders may request a second can from ADSI for an additional $8 fee, but that is handled by contacting ADSI, not the county.

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Brown said ADSI management had contacted the board to express concern over the contractor company not delivering cans to each paying client or delivering more than one can to some homes. ADSI was not happy with the contracting service and fired them. Approximately 500 cans were yet to be delivered as of Monday afternoon.

Residents with active solid waste accounts who did not receive a can, although their immediate neighbors on both sides of their property did, should call the county’s Solid Waste Department at 601-835-3488.

Pickering appeared before the board Monday to present insolvency reports on personal property and mobile home taxes. The half-inch thick packet of pages handed to each supervisor contained names and addresses for taxes unpaid for the previous year in these categories.

“This doesn’t require a vote but it must be spread upon the minutes,” Pickering said, noting that the taxes were as yet uncollected, but that did not mean they were uncollectible. “We’re trying to work with people before moving toward selling mobile homes.”

When asked if these properties would go up for auction if the taxes remained unpaid for a certain period of time, Pickering answered that mobile homes had historically not been auctioned off in Lincoln County. The properties could be sealed to prevent access, however, if necessary.

Pickering said his office would mail letters to every property owner listed in the insolvency report, informing them of the tax due and any other pertinent information.

On Pickering’s recommendation, the board also gave approval for the tax office to continue accepting partial payments for property (ad valorem) taxes, to withhold car tags if solid waste bills are more than 90 days late and to use the county’s one mil in the Reappraisal Trust for 911 mapping. These approvals are asked for and historically approved at least once annually.

Before the close of the meeting, the board went into closed-door executive session on the subject of litigation. After the 8-minute meeting, no action was taken by the board.

The board will meet next on Thursday at 9 a.m. to discuss the accounts payable docket, and then Tuesday at 9 a.m. for the payroll docket. The Tuesday meeting will be in the city boardroom, due to election day voting in the county boardroom.

In other business, the board:

• Approved the minutes of the previous board meeting, inventory control sheets and the Lincoln County Jail meal count sheets for week 52.

• Approved a school bus turnaround on Bogue Chitto road.

• Approved personnel reports for Corey Gerber and Ethan Jergins.

• Approved a solid waste refund of $84 to the daughter of a property owner now deceased.

• Approved payment of an invoice of $52,487.02 to Magco Inc. road construction company for work completed.

• Approved and recorded a temporary drainage easement for Gunther LLC for a Natural Resources Conservation Service Emergency Watershed Protection project in Bogue Chitto.

• Approved awarding an industrial park mowing contract to U.S. Lawns for $400 per cut of 5.83 acres, to occur no more than twice monthly during months when grass is growing.