Published: May 16, 2008 12:50 am            

Meeting Minutes

Meeting: Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors Work Session. May 15, 2008.



What Happened:



• Tax Collector Stanley Shannon asked that taxpayers be allowed to pay their taxes via credit card. When credit card payment is implemented, taxpayers paying with credit cards will have to pay an additional fee to the credit card company. "Now all those people that have been wanting a credit card opportunity," said Shannon, "they'll have it."

• Shannon also asked for decreased limitations on the ability of the Tax Collector's Office to hold the car tags of county residents who have not paid their county garbage bill. Currently, the office can hold the tags of residents who did not pay the previous year's garbage bill. Shannon wants the ability to hold their tags if they have not paid the current year's garbage bill. County garbage fees are due on January 1 of each year, and are delinquent after February 2.

• The board discussed a possible increase in millage charges for county residents to offset the increasing cost of sanitation. According to County Administrator Mike Sumrall, the county paid hundreds of thousands of dollars more for sanitation last year than they collected in garbage fees and millage. District 4 Supervisor Joe Norwood said that since sanitation fees have increased by around $100,00 every year, a millage increase would only provide a temporary fix to the problem of sanitation costs. District 3 Supervisor Craig Hitt requested that the board hold a special work session at a later date to discuss the sanitation issue in more depth.



By Jennifer Jacob

jjacob@themeridianstar.com

        

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