County to choose chairman Tuesday
By Steve Herring
Published in News on December 6, 2010 1:46 PM
Wayne County commissioners have a brief agenda for their Tuesday morning meeting that includes election of new leadership and a large consent agenda.
The board traditionally chooses a new chairman and vice chairman for the coming year during its first meeting in December. Jack Best has served as chairman for the past year and J.D. Evans as vice chairman. Another tradition is that the vice chairman steps up to the chairmanship.
Tuesday's session will begin with an agenda briefing at 8 a.m., followed by the board meeting at 9 a.m. in the commissioners' boardroom on the fourth floor of the county courthouse annex.
The only item of new business is a presentation of the Flight of Honor program that honors the sacrifices of America's World War II veterans.
The goal is to send every World War II veteran to see the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C.
Consent agenda items are normally approved as a group with little or no discussion.
Two of the items on the consent agenda deal with next month's personal property tax-listing period.
One item, if approved, would allow people to electronically list business personal property for tax purposes. People using that method would have to use an electronic listing application that has been approved by the county.
Also, people would be able to file a request for an extension for electronically filing. The request must be filed online during January. If approved, the property must be filed by May 15 in order to avoid a late-filing penalty.
Facsimiles will not be accepted as electronic listing.
Tax Administrator David Ward has asked that commissioners approve the 2011 tax-listing period to begin Jan. 3 and end on Jan. 31. People who list after that date will be subject to a penalty of 10 percent of the taxes listed.
Any person or firm owning real estate on which any improvements have been made since the last listing must report the improvements to the tax office. All real estate in the county is permanently listed and automatically charged to the owner of record on Jan. 1.
As such, the property does not have to be listed unless improvements have been made or the owner's address has changed.
All business firms with property in the county on Jan. 1 must make a return regardless of the owner's residence or that of the home office.
Any person living in the county on Jan. 1, whether temporarily or not, is required to file a return. Civilians attached to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, who resided in the county on Jan. 1, are required to submit a return.
Other consent agenda items include:
* Scheduling April 23 and Oct. 15 as amnesty days at the Wayne County landfill at Dudley. Amnesty days apply to residential waste only.
* Declaring property at 913 National Drive as surplus. The property is jointly owned by the city and county. Smart Choices for Youth has contacted the city about donating the property. The agency has applied for a grant to rehabilitate the property.
* Abandoning a portion of Tom Herring Road in New Hope Township from the state maintenance system. The request was submitted by the state Department of Transportation.
* Approving a request by the Parkstown Christmas Parade Committee for permission for a fireworks display on Dec. 9, contingent upon approval by the county building inspector.