May 1, 2007
JASPER
COUNTY WATER & SEWER TAXES PROPERTY OWNERS
If
you live within 1000 feet of a JCWSA fire hydrant, you recently
received a letter. (See a copy of this letter below.) This
letter informs the property owner that they live within
a “Special Fire Protection Tax District.” Each
property owner in that district will now owe an additional
$50, to be billed on their property tax bill to fund and
support the JCWSA.
Tax District is to provide the funding required for the
Jasper County Water and Sewer Authority to operate and
maintain fire hydrants for fire protection. This funding
will be provided by the special tax levied on all properties
determined to be within the Tax District.
Also
see http://www.taxdogs.com/specialtax121006.htm
Special Tax District to Benefit
Jasper County Water Authority, 12/10/06
It doesn’t matter
if you are on another water system or pay JCWSA for your
water or if you are on a well, you must now help
fund JCWSA to keep them solvent. It does not take
$40,000 a year to fund and operate fire hydrants. This money
to help JCWSA pay their debt.
JCWSA started
in 1999. They received a combination grant and loan from
USDA Rural Development to run water lines. JCWSA ran these
lines down every little dirt road they could find hoping
to “encourage development” and to help a few land “dealers”.
After running
approximately 40 miles of line and spending over $5 million,
the JCWSA has picked up a whopping 250 customers. Understandably,
these few customers can not be charged enough to pay the
debt on the USDA loan, the Executive Director’s salary,
and the fees the City of Monticello charges to do the repairs,
locates, read the meters, etc. for JCWSA. That’s right,
the City of Monticello. The
$50 tax will help support the City of Monticello as well
as JCWSA.
The notice sent
out to the property owners is on Jasper County Board of
Commissioners letterhead. Telephone calls are to be made
to Betty Moon, who works in the BOC office. Mrs. Moon has
nothing to do with the JCWSA. Instead, people that
are concerned with this new tax should call the Executive
Director, Linda Jordan, or Peggy Billerman at City Hall
who answers the phone for JCWSA. The
number for JCWSA is 706-468-5544.
See articles
on City and JCWSA partnership
4/9/05
–The JCWSA & City of Monticello are intent on forming
a Water Partnership
http://www.taxdogs.com/waterpartner.htm
4/17/05- CITY and JCWSA
PARTNERSHIP
http://www.taxdogs.com/citypartnership.htm
One might think
that the JCWSA would turn to the City for help with its
finances rather than taxing the property owners since they
have an alliance and contract together.
JCWSA has demanded
that the BOC (and therefore all property owners) pay for
“fire hydrants” year after year. The new BOC balked at this
idea, and the JCWSA threatened to sue them. Instead of standing
their ground, the BOC bowed to the pressure and decided
instead to tax the property owners along the JCWSA lines
citing ISO ratings and insurance savings to those
near fire hydrants.
USDA
holds the bonds for the JCWSA debt. If JCWSA
defaults, USDA must pick up the debt—NOT the taxpayers of
Jasper County. Yet with this move, the BOC has become involved
and could possibly become partially liable for the debt.
JCWSA is an
Authority that is supposed to stand on its own. It has not
been able to do so. It has had to borrow money from both
the Bank of Monticello (stop-gap loan) and from Butts County
WSA. It has also received over $30,000 a year from the cofers
of Jasper County’s General Fund up until the last 2 years.
Now it will receive approximately
$40,000 a year from this “Special Tax” that has been enacted
on its behalf (approximately 800 property owners are being
assessed.)
6/30/06--
JCWSA tells Butts Co WSA it is in need of Money
http://www.taxdogs.com/JCWSA063006.htm
By making unwise
decisions as to where to run lines—the original
purpose of the JCWSA was to bring industry to the County,
not housing development—the JCWSA has now had
to have certain property owners taxed to keep them solvent.
A
copy of the Special Fire Tax District Letter follows.
Board
of Commissioners
of Jasper County
Courthouse
126 West Greene Street, Suite 18
Monticello, GA31064
April
16, 2007
PROPERTY OWNER
MONTICELLO, GA
31064 Important
Notice Special Fire
Protection Tax District
Dear PROPERTY
OWNER
RE:Parcel Number:
XXXXX
On January 8th, 2007, the Jasper County Board of Commissioners
approved an ordinance that created a Special Fire Protection
Tax District. The purpose of this Tax District is to provide
the funding required for the Jasper County Water and Sewer
Authority to operate and maintain fire hydrants for fire
protection. This funding will be provided by the special
tax levied on all properties determined to be within the
Tax District.
The above referenced parcel has been identified as being
located within the Tax District. As owner of this parcel,
you will be responsible for the payment of the special tax.
If for any reason you believe that this property should
not be included in the Tax District, you may appeal this
determination to the Jasper County Board of Commissioners
The appeal process is specified in the ordinance. Please
contact Betty Moon in the Board of Commissioners Office
at (704) 468-4900 for further information.
Sincerely,
Greg Williams
Jasper County Manager
659
TWG
===========================================================
Mission
Statement:
** To keep the taxpayers of Jasper County, Georgia informed
as to where and how
their tax dollars are being spent.
** To keep the taxpayers abreast of local policies and
laws being
discussed and enacted.
** We advocate more open government, less government spending,
and lower property taxes.
|
