2010 PROPERTY TAX BILLS

Everyone:

The Madison County Tax Collector, Kay Pace, mailed the 2010 Property Tax Notices Friday. The notices were mailed to the property owners as of Jan 1, 2010. Anyone who has purchased property during 2010 may have to contact the previous owner or the Tax Collector to get a copy of their tax bill.

If unpaid, damages accrue after Feb 1, 2011 at the rate of 1% per month.

Click for additional info, see your tax bill and to pay on-line:
http://www.madison-co.com/elected_offices/tax_collector/index.php

Click here to see my related eNews UPDATE:
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs095/1102339970295/archive/1103878424364.html

REMEMBER to check to make sure you have applied for HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. Without homestead, property taxes are 50% higher. Click here to look up your Property Tax Info http://tinyurl.com/3lv4ky

Also, check to make sure the tax assessor has the correct square footage for you your home since it is a key component used to establish the appraised "TRUE" value used in tax calculations.

If you want to learn more about property tax calculations, etc., download my Excel Spreadsheet tax calculator at http://tinyurl.com/27ohk2d

Call or email if you have questions.

Warm regards,

D.I.
PROUD TO SERVE MADISON COUNTY!
SUPERVISOR, DISTRICT 3
www.DISmith.com

Madison County Contract Oversight is Lax...

The Office of the State Auditor has issued "PART I" (Contract Analysis) of a review of Madison County Engineer contracts. PART II (Financial Analysis) will be issued later.

It is a scathing report of the lack of management oversight by the Madison County Board of Supervisors; indicating a lack of performance of fiduciary responsibilities by the Board.

The Mississippi Office of the State Auditor has determined that the Madison County Board of Supervisors did not exercise sufficient oversight and management of contracts and payments. In many cases, it appears as if the Board delegated responsibilities without overseeing, reviewing, or questioning contract terms of payments.

Hopefully, the Madison County Board of Supervisors will use the results of this audit to apply "best business practices" and fully comply with the spirit and intent of State guidelines to improve delivery of services to the Citizens of Madison County.

Below are links to related news articles and comments:

Jackson Jambalaya
http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2010/10/here-is-state-auditors-report-on.html

Flora Harvester
http://thefloraharvester.blogspot.com/2010/10/and-why-is-overpaid-madison-county.html

http://thefloraharvester.blogspot.com/2010/10/jj-pickering-wimps-out.html

Madison County Journal
Audit shows contracts protect engineer instead of taxpayers
http://www.onlinemadison.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=22994&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1

Clarion Ledger
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=201010290344

Audit Report Part 1
http://www.clarionledger.com/assets/pdf/D01661181028.PDF

WLBT TV
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=13404743

WAPT TV
http://www.wapt.com/money/25551404/detail.html

WJTV TV
http://www2.wjtv.com/jtv/news/local/article/state_auditor_recommends_madison_county_leaders_manage_contracts_better/212371/

FOX40 TV
http://www.my601.com/mostpopular/story/engineering-contract-Madison-County/rGjSaMVGjUqScemo2fYqqA.cspx

FY 2011 Budget and Tax Levy Proposed

The Board of Supervisors will hold a PUBLIC HEARING Tuesday, Sept 7, 9 A.M, for public comment on the proposed FY 2011 Budget and Tax Levy

Click for Budget Fund Summary

Click for Tax Levy 2011 Proposed

Click for FY 2011 Budget Proposed 


Madison County Herald article Tight fiscal year ahead for county

Madison County Tax Sale 2010

Kay Pace, the Madison County Tax Collector, will be conducting the 2010 Tax Sale, 9 A.M., Monday, August 30, at the Madison County Office Building, Canton. See map and directions at http://tinyurl.com/MadAdmin

So, Friday, 5 P.M., Aug 27 is the last opportunity to pay 2009 property taxes and avoid additional fees, penalties and interest payments.

As of 5 P.M., Friday, Aug 20, 2010, there are 2,900 parcels with unpaid taxes and special assessments equaling approximately $4.4 million.  A comma separated variable (CSV) file can be downloaded at the Tax Collectors web site

I've converted the csv parcel listing to an Excel spreadsheet (xls) file format which can be download by clicking here. This file can be searched by owner name, subdivision name, etc.

2010 TAX SALE RESULTS; Thursday, Sep 2, 2010 http://tinyurl.com/2ab3vqj

Remember that tax notices are sent to the owner as of Jan 1, 2009; so, it someone bought a property in 2009 the tax bills may have been mailed and forwarded to the previous owner.

Click here for the Madison County Tax Collector
(601) 859-5226

How to locate parcels Want to find the land record info and location for sale parcels? Click here for the Tax Assessor's web site to search by name, subdivision, address or parcel number.

Register for Tax Sale

The Tax Sale is conducted as a regular auction with "over-bidding." So, many parcels sell for more than the applicable taxes, etc.  Depending on the number of parcels, the sale can last for more than 2 days.


If you would like to participate click here to download the Tax Sale Registration Form and information 
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See related eNews UPDATE email newsletter at http://tinyurl.com/26nnf6r

Madison County Considering forming Regional Solid Waste Managment Authority

The Madison County Board of Supervisors continue the process of setting up a Regional Solid Waste Management Authority by voting 4-1 during Wednesday's meeting to hire a consultant to prepare related documents. The estimated cost for this is $30,000 which is not currently budgeted.

This new bureaucratic organization is supposed to provide "efficiencies."

On Oct 1, 2009, Madison County took over garbage collection requiring the purchase of 6 new garbage trucks at nearly a $1 million. Previously, a contractor, Red River, had the contract and picked up the garbage with 12 employees. The County needs 23 to do the job and the County doesn't have all the areas that are now annexed by the City of Madison and Ridgeland. Red River did all that area plus what the County is now responsible for!!!

In Sept 2008, Supervisor Tim Johnson defended/argued for the tax increase saying we were wasting $1 million a year on the privatized garbage collection.

Well, in Sept 2009, when the 2010 budget was prepared, instead of saving a $1M as promised, $500,000 (1/2 mil) had to be added to Solid Waste. This money was taken from the Road and Bridge account, which reduced funds going to County roads and the municipalities, and created 1/2mil tax reduction for property owners in the municipalities!  A loss of precious revenues that were greatly needed.

So, the point is that we had great "efficiencies" when the garbage collection was privatized. Now, there is a proposal to form up a Regional Solid Waste Management Authority who will be responsible to no one -- and they are supposed to provide "efficiencies".... Give us a break!

Wonder why one of these is needed in Madison County since we have no shortage of landfills? There are other "authorities" in the State... but, each was established where there was a need for such an organization due to shortage of landfills.

So, what would be the motivation to have an "authority" in Madison County?  What are the benefits? What existing problems would be corrected with such an organization. 

2010 Tax Rolls available for examination and inspection

PUBLIC NOTICE: Madison County 2010 Tax Rolls available for inspection and examination. JUST DO IT -http://tinyurl.com/2cpdfz7

Find a problem?
Real Property Formal Appeal form

Madison County Landfills... how many are enough?

You can make a Difference... get involved -- click here for more information, links to news coverage, complete DEQ survey, provide feedback, etc.




Help Make a Difference!  FOR ADDITION INFORMATION ON HOW TO GET INVOLVED, SEE  http://tinyurl.com/NCLLandfill

Another New Solid Waste Landfill in Madison County?

For your information and action.
Time sensitive information!


The NCL Landfill is located on a 165-acre tract of land located in Madison County, Mississippi. NCL currently owns the proposed land and would be operating the landfill. The NCL Landfill would be used for the disposal of non-hazardous household, commercial, and industrial solid wastes generated from the Jackson metropolitan area and surrounding communities. The proposed capacity of the NCL Landfill would be 14,200,000 cubic yards.

Interested parties may provide comments, opinion/statement of opposition.

Among other things, this new landfill will result in huge increases of large truck traffic on Madison County Roads including Hwy 463, Coker, Lake Cavalier, North Livingston, Greens Crossing, Rouser Road, Old Agency, etc.

There are 18 active solid waste landfills in the State of Mississippi. No county has more than 1 except Madison County, which has two: Little Dixie off North County Line Road, and the sanitary landfill just south of Canton. If this permit is approved, then Madison County will have 3 solid waste landfills out of only 19 in the entire State of Mississippi!

Please help me spread the word and make sure all are aware of the attached PUBLIC NOTICE!!!
Click here to provide your opinion, questions, comments and concerns regarding the landfill permit application to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality

Click here to see Madison County Tax Map of area. The proposed site is at the very top of the map.

Click here to see a Google Map of the area.

FOX 40 News story, Dustin Barnes, 6.11.2009

eNews UPDATE: Call to Action: Madison County Landfill Capital?

12/02/09 Northside Sun: New judge to determine fate of proposed landfill
01/21/10 Northside Sun: Landfill 
01/30/10 MS Digital Daily: NEWS FLASH - Another Madison County Solid Waste Landfill 
01/20/10 MS Digital Daily:  Hearing -- Will Madison County become "Land of Landfills!?"
02/21/10 eNews UPDATE -- Madison County: "Land of Landfills!?" 
03/25/10  Hinds County appeals Madison County Solid Waste Landfill decision to the MS Supreme Court  http://tinyurl.com/yhakhkz

REUNION INTERCHANGE KILLED; Madison County 2010 Road Plan

The Madison County effort to be the first county in the State of Mississippi, and one of the few in the U.S., to build an interstate highway interchange has been canceled and the $21 million of bond money redirected to other projects. See link to the Amend Madison County Road Plan below.

Even though blame is placed squarely on MDOT by some, Madison County only had a small fraction of the money necessary to build the interchange and it had to be obligated and spent by March 2011. Or, the bonds would lose their tax exempt status.

Much of the remaining bond money, approximately $21 million, is  going to projects of questionable priority with low payoff for movement of traffic in Madison County. 

Engineering contracts worth over $4M for design and construction oversight of road projects were awarded to Warnock & Associates yesterday without review of the contracts and without considering obtaining quotes (qualifications) from other engineering firms.

See related news and back ground articles below..

Tim Johnson's Press Release, Feb 1, 2010

http://tinyurl.com/yj9ovcp

Click here to see the Madison County Road Plan Amended, Feb 1, 2010

http://tinyurl.com/yku9uuy
2010 Road Affidavit -- District 3 Supervisor, D.I. Smith 

Madison County residents plan to protest at supervisors meeting

http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=11988919

TV 40 News; Monday, Feb 15, 2010

http://www.my601.com/default.aspx?articleID=772

Read Madison County Journal articles and editorials:

http://www.onlinemadison.com/

 

Fox 40 TV News coverage

http://tinyurl.com/ylxx8hm

WAPT TV News

http://www.wapt.com/money/22583735/detail.html

WLBT TV 

http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=11993382  

WJTV TV News

 http://www2.wjtv.com/jtv/news/local/article/road_to_no_where/102100/

Madison County Journal

 http://tinyurl.com/y9lf9om

Madison County Herald

 http://tinyurl.com/ya4o39z
The Clarion Ledger - See photo gallery and comments
http://tinyurl.com/yhx3tor
MCH -- Residents/Supervisors Clash over Road Plans
http://tinyurl.com/ya69fvt

MCJ -- Editorial: The Tea Party Tax Revolt

http://tinyurl.com/yheb2h7

Madison County Homestead Exemptions/Over 65

Homestead Exemption Applications are being accepted in the Tax Assessor's Offices. Click here for Homestead requirements  Click here for a Homestead application worksheet.

Homestead Exemption Applications are being accepted in the Tax Assessor's Offices thorugh April 1, 2010.

Also, if you have had a birthday in the last year and are now 65 you should apply for your "over 65" exemption!  This is really painless... all you need is your Drivers License!