ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County’s property tax collection rate is the “highest on record,” according to County Manager Bryan Land.
Addressing commissioners Tuesday evening during his monthly report, Land said the county tax office surpassed its 97% goal with a rate of 97.36%.
Last year, the collection rate was 96.64%.
“This is an incredible feat,” Land said. “I am extremely proud of our Tax Administrator Mr. Vagas Jackson and also our Tax Collector Ms. Michelle Holden and the entire collections department for their diligent work on achieving this goal.”
Land said the collection equates to around $125,000 of additional revenue that will be available for the budget in subsequent years.
But taxes aren’t the only increase in collections.
Land also reported that the Child Support Unit has set a new local record, collecting $7,061,717 for the recent fiscal year — an increase of $686,550 more than the goal.
“These funds benefit the children and the families of Richmond County,” Land said, thanking acting consolidated Human Services Director Robby Hall and the Social Services staff “for all the hard work.”
An anticipated $900,000 Community Development Block Grant to help residents with rent, mortgage and utility payments is still “in a holding pattern,” according to Land.
“We’ve had multiple calls and Zoom meetings with representatives from the Department of Commerce on the status of these funds,” Land said. “Richmond County is in the pipeline to receive the funding and Commerce advises that we’re still in a holding pattern — we’ve been hearing that for a few months now, but funds should be released soon.”
Land said Hall and the Social Services staff have created referral forms and developed the process for disbursement.
“We’re just waiting on the funds to arrive,” Land said. “As soon as they do, we’ll be hitting the ground running.”
Hall said some of the more-populated counties have received funds, but no rural counties have.
Land next addressed the county’s contract with K2 Solutions to take over operations of the animal shelter, which was announced last week.
Starting Wednesday, K2’s operational team will be reviewing standard operating procedures and inventory control, with IT-related reviews beginning Friday.
Land said K2 has also submitted a request for an operating license to the state, which is expected to be granted within the next two weeks.
Land said everything is currently still in the county’s name, but the full transfer should be complete within the next two weeks.
While K2 will have in-house veterinarians, the company will still use local vets as well, according to Land.
For those who missed the news earlier in the year and are wondering what’s going up at the old Tartan Yacht property, it’s a second facility for Global Packaging.
“Myrick Construction has hit the ground running at our Marks Creek Industrial Park,” Land said, adding that the concrete pad for the 40,000 square-foot facility has been poured, steel beams erected and the roof has been set.
Land said contractors are confident to have the building finished by late October.
Later in the evening, commissioners approved the demolition of two homes on Airline Street, off of Biltmore Drive.
County records show one property is owned by a Gary Bullard and the other by a John William Carter.
According to a resolution, administrative hearings on both properties were held in August 2020.
“We’ve had reports of squatters living in those homes and they’re posing a public health nuisance,” said Planning Director Tracy Parris.
She added that her office has had no contact with anyone regarding Bullard’s since starting the process and that the taxes have not been paid.
However, Parris said that they had heard from someone regarding Carter’s property, but the deadline to demolish in March was not met.
The demolition fees will be assessed to the property owners.
Commissioners also approved an update to the cross connection control ordinance.
Public Works Director Jerry Austin explained that a cross connection is any time any water line is connected to something else other than the public water system.
Austin said the ordinance allows the county address eliminations in the case of cross connections, installation requirements, testing and repair requirements, list the type of backflow devices required, and gives the county the ability to levy fines.
Austin said the ordinance is standard across the state and that there haven’t been any issues leading to the update.
The ordinance is targeted to customers with meters 2 inches or greater, which includes chicken farms, manufacturing facilities and hospitals.
Those customers will also be required to have their connections inspected annually.
“Any cross connection is a health hazard,” Austin said.
The board also voted to:
