Editor, The Smithfield Times:

A significant number of citizens spoke against the Surry County biannual tax proposal during the Board of Supervisors’ September meeting. The board tabled the decision to allow for more discussion. 

Chairman Robert Elliott’s closing words were that no decisions would be made at the follow-up working session. Unfortunately, Chairman Elliott and representatives from the Carsley and Bacon’s Castle districts, in their zeal to push their option for a split payment of personal property taxes in June and real estate taxes in December, did make a decision. Representatives from the Surry and Dendron districts proposed several options that Chairman Elliott excluded from what will be presented at the board’s October meeting. The public hearing notice only lists his option for split tax payments. 

Additionally, time is needed for the Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office to implement new software that should be exercised using our existing once-a-year billing approach. Chairman Elliott decided that waiting was not an option. Ignoring important recommendations, Elliott responded by pushing forward with his split-billing option as his top priority.

The question of the need for any change in Surry’s tax billing remains unanswered. Board members Elliott, Walter Hardy and Breyon Pierce are imposing a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. Citizens already have a remedy from paying a large tax bill close to the Christmas holidays. Surry County provides the option for anyone to pay their taxes at any time during the year. There is no reason to impose a new tax policy that affects everyone when there is already a process in place to resolve the problem suggested by Mr. Elliott. 

The large group of citizens at September’s meeting strongly voiced that the county should keep the current flexibility to pay at any time and allow all citizens the right to manage their budgets as they need.

Board members Elliott, Hardy and Pierce, please help educate your constituents on the existing “anytime” payment options and stop unnecessarily legislating the rest of us.

 

Dianne Cheek

Surry