482-4418
3P
Wednesday, Feoruary 4, 2009
50*
EdentomChowan
Craig Miller is
named Volunteer
of the Year B1
Mike Fairdoth is
Businessperson of
the Year A6
No dodging
the tax man
as home
prices fall
“Sales are certainly few
and far between... But
better than 50 percent.
of the homes are sell
ing for more than our
appraisal.”
— Lynda Hendricks
By Vernon Fueston
Staff Writer
It might seem to-make
sense that your property tax
es should fall as home values
crash, but don’t count on it.
As home prices plummet,
many homeowners might as
sume they can contest their
home’s valuation and lower
their taxes.
But Lynda Hendricks of
Chowan’s tax office said the
law just doesn’t allow for
that.
“There are only certain
reasons we can lower a tax
value,” Hendricks said.
“An error (on our part) is
one reason and new con
struction is another. The
economy is not a reason. We
re-evaluate properties every
eight years.”
Hendricks said she has lit
tle latitude on how to handle
property values. Her proce
dures are all spelled out in
a law called The Machinery
Act of North Carolina, Stat
ute 105.
She said the system is de
signed to ignore spikes or
brief valleys in property
values. The county’s ap
praisers look at real estate
sales in the county over a
period of years.
The same statute that
keeps a homeowner from
taking advantage, of this
year’s falling home prices
also protects him from
higher taxes when they rise
briefly, Hendricks said.
The law does allow a ho
meowner to contest the ap
praised value of his home.
To do that, he must get two
professional appraisals of
the property and make an
. application to the county tax
office. But values over time
would have to be checked.
Hendricks said the county
would have to look at proper
ty values going back to 2006
when'considering a change.
The next scheduled prop
erty valuation is set for 2014.
If property values rise back
to their previous levels be
fore then, today’s bear real
estate market may not make
much difference in a home
owner’s tax bill.
But there’s another prob
lem when it comes to prop
erty re appraisals. So far,
prices for homes in Chowan
County are selling for above
their tax appraisal, even
though few are selling.
“Some (sale prices) are low,
but land Is selling for high,”
Hendricks said. “The sales
are certainly few and far
between with some homes
selling for less (than the tax
See TAXES, Page A2>
A
©2006 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
' Wi >
Bob Harrell put his career on the line in a quiet
fight for civil rights four decades ago
VERNON FUESTON/THE CHOWAN HERALD
Bob Harrell left his position as a Baptist minister to mediate civil rights disputes during the height of racial
unrest in North Carolina. After three years of service on the Governor's Good Neighbor Council, he was
never offered a Southern Baptist pastorate in North Carolina again.
By Vernon Fueston
Staff Writer
What Bob Harrell re
members most about the
tense weeks that followed
Dr. Martin Luther King’
assassination in 1969 is a
meeting with Lexington’s
(N.C.) mayor.
“Everything blew up,
not just in the south, but
all over the country,” Har
rell said. “The mayor was
already thinking about
positive solutions, but things were tense.”
From his vantage as the governor’s represen
tative, it didn’t look like good intentions were
going to be enough.
Riots were breaking out all over the country
and buildings were in flarpes, including Lexing
ton. Rioters were randomly torching buildings
around the city.
Hard words
Harrell’s suggestion wasn’t what the mayor
wanted to hear, but he accepted. They got the
County officials downplay risk of AMH debt
By Vernon Fueston
Staff Writer
County officials were reas
sured last night that the risk debt
incurred by Albemarle Mental
Health Center becoming a prob
lem for the county are remote.
Speaking in a meeting of the
county commissioners, the coun
ty’s attorney, John S. Morrison,
said Chowan County would only
incur the agency’s liabilities in
the event it had to liquidate.
Chowan County partnered with
five other counties in 1972 to form
the clinic system. Today, 10 coun
ties participate in the system.
Morrison said it was unlikely
the clinic would go out of busi
ness. Unless that happens, he
said the agency’s debts should
Lowe s halts development at Edenton Commons
by Earline White
Managing Editor
Local officials plan to push the
development of the Edenton Com
mons shopping center onward
despite the recent news that the
center’s anchor store, Lowe’s, has
pulled out of the project.
Wheeler Interests President
John Wheeler sent an e-mail
to Town Manager Anne Marie
Knighton yesterday afternoon
about the decision.
According to Knighton, the real
estate committee for Lowe’s did
DOING
THING
Morrison
not reflect on the
county
“At this time
(Albemarle Mental
Health) has a sepa
rate legal identi
ty,” Morrison said.
“I don’t think the I
county needs to be
overly concerned.”
Morrison said a caretaker di
rector has assumed control of the
agency with the goal of restoring
its financial strength and then
handing the reins back over to its
board.
. Chowan’s county manager,
Peter Rascoe, said he and other
county managers met Friday to
explore ways to stabilize the situ
atioft and assess the quality of
care being given indigent patients
not approve the Edenton location.
This news comes five months af
ter'Lowe’s cut 100 projects nation
wide, of which Edenton was not a
part.
“Of course the Chamber is dis
appointed [about this decision],”
Chamber director Richard Bunch
said.
“The whole time we have been
looking to those 70 jobs to help the
county with its high unemploy
ment rate.”
“But the direction of the cen
ter is dictated by the economy”
Bunch added.
names of the town’s three
most radical young black
activists and the mayor
sent Harrell to fetch
them.
It was three in the morn
ing and tensions on the
street were high. Harrell
borrowed a car without
government plates and
declined a police escort.
It wasn’t long before the
young men were sitting
in the mayor’s office.
“I was never so sorry
lor anybody in my liie, Harrell said. There
were drops of sweat as big as the end of your
finger coming off his face. -They used language
on him I’d never heard before.”
That’s when the mayor drew in a long breath, .
and leaned back in his chair. “Now that I’ve
heard you,” he said, “What can I do?”
Harrell said the young men looked stunned. It
seemed to be a question they hadn’t anticipated.
After a moment’s thought they listed their de
mands.
See HARRELL, Page A2 >
in the counties.
Morrison did caution the com
missioners that the county would
likely see some financial fallout
from the agency’s problems.
He said the county currently
pays one dollar per capita popula
tion or $15,000 per year to support
the agency, an amount set 37 years
ago.
That amount will almost cer
tainly increase as the agency is
reorganized, Morrison said. He
added that the state’s Division of
Mental health has been critical of
the low assessment paid the AM
HC’s member-counties.
Morrison said the average paid
statewide by other counties into
similar agencies is $15 per capita
with one county paying $66 per
capita.
Knighton said, “The Town had
been working with Lowe’s for a
number of months in its efforts
to bring Lowe’s. While I am very
disappointed, I look forward to ex
ploring future opportunities with
Lowe’s and other quality busi
nesses as they evaluate opportuni
ties in Edenton.”
“We all are better equipped to'
help evaluate and plan for big-box
development.”
No word on the status of the
businesses — CVS, Peebles, Fam
ily Dollar, Ace Wireless and Sub
way — slated to go into the center.
Officials
take steps
to raise
money
Commissioners declare
surplus property and
tighten tax collections
By Vernon Fueston
Staff Writer
Chowan’s commissioners took steps
to raise cash Monday, preparing $881,000
in new debt payments that will come due
this fall.
They declared surplus property avail
able for sale and took steps to tighten and
speed up the county’s tax collection pro
cedures.
The commissioners also announced
the appointment of 10 citizens to advise
them on county finances.
The steps came at a regularly sched
uled public meeting held at the College
of the Albemarle.
Selling property
Three real estate holdings, 11 vehicles,
machinery, lockers, office furniture, sports
lights, boat motors, office equipment and
even an ATM machine will be sold.
The county will sell the Gliden Rescue
Building on Gliden Road, valued for taxes
at $62,000. The building is no longer oc
cupied by the county’s rescue squad and
is currently used only as a polling place. •
Also for sale will be the Chowan Ru
ritan Community Building, valued at
$47,000. The building is located on Vir
ginia Road across from Chowan Middle
School.
The building is currently rented by the
Ruritan Club. The club’s lease will go
with the building.
Another property for sale will be the
Chowan County Agricultural Building
Site, located on Virginia Road. One wood
en structure sits on the property’s 2.26
acres of land, located within the town
limits. The site is valued at $339,000.
The real estate will be offered at auc
tion with a 10-day upset period. No bids
will be accepted for less than the tax ap
praisal value.
The exact method for disposing of the
vehicles and equipment was not decided
in the meeting. The county could use an
online auction service or a public auc
tion.
Speeding revenues
The commissioners also took steps to
tighten and speed up its tax collections.
They passed a proposal requiring all tax
es be paid on a property before any build
ing permits are issued.
One member of the audience asked if
such a measure would hurt citizens try
ing to improve properties they were try
ing to sell for taxes.
County Attorney John S. Morrison
responded that the measure very well
might have that effect. He said that any
such provision is always a trade-off.
A proposal offering a one-percent dis
count for the early payment of taxes was
tabled to gather more data.
Commissioners seemed favorable to
the idea, but questioned projections of
just how much money the policy would
bring into the county early
Lynda Hendricks, the county’s tax col
lector, estimated that a potential $1.5 mil
lion could be brought into the county’s
coffers in time for the county’s annual
debt payments. ■
■ She said she has checked with neigh
boring counties who offer 'early dis- ,
counts, adding that Pasquotank County
receives 40 percent of its tax levy as early
payments. .
Hendricks said about 1,500 mortgage
companies send money to the county each ,.
year. She said most of them are eager to
pay early in order to take discounts.
Hendricks said the county must pass V
a, resolution requesting a change by the