County Supervisors discuss taxes and tents, July 11th

Items related to property tax assessments and collections dominated the Monday, July 11, meeting of the Union County Board of Supervisors.

County Collector and Assessor Randy Dunnam delivered the new “land rolls,” the catalogue of county taxable property and its assessed value, to the supervisors. Dunnam said the total assessment did not vary much from the $272-million assessed value from last year.

“We were up some on real estate and mobile homes and down some on personal property,” Dunnam told the board. He said a write off of personal property by the Toyota manufacturing plant in eastern Union County was a factor in the reduction of personal property valuations.

Manufacturing businesses are allowed to apply for ad valorem tax exemption on certain manufacturing property and several such were recommended by the collector and approved by the board. However, the collector recommended against approval of some tax exemptions applied for by Metal Impact. Dunnam said Metal Impact applied for tax exemption on property that had not been placed on the tax rolls at it should have been and could not be allowed exempt property it had not previously been declared on tax renditions. The board agreed and denied the Piper Impact tax exemption request.

County Chancery Clerk Annette Hickey submitted  applications for homestead (tax) exemption, which can be allowed on primary residences. She recommended homestead exemption for all but one application. Hickey said she had received an application for homestead exemption from  someone who already had another exempt residence in another county. The supervisors approved the chancery clerk’s recommendations.

The board approved requests for 12 fees to be paid to the medical examiner.

Shady Grove Baptist church had asked for permission to erect a tent on the parking lot of the Union County library for a three-day tent revival, July 29-31. The board took the request “under advisement” and will consider the tent revival request at a future meeting.

The board allowed John Brady, a candidate for a seat on the Mississippi Supreme County, to make a brief political speech to the board and others at the meeting.