• Chairman says better deal forthcoming but is quiet on company never listing building with tax office.

By NICOLE CARTRETTE
Staff Writer

Waste Management has never paid taxes on a building located at the county-owned but closed New Hope landfill.

Two weeks ago in a board meeting a representative with the company told Columbus County commissioners the three-sided metal building was worth $325,000 on their books and the county could either buy it or renew a five-year contract.

County Tax Administrator Richard Gore said Thursday it was not brought to his office’s attention during revaluation that the building was not county property. While the building is valued at $59,000 on the tax books, it is exempted as being county-owned.

“No one knew that it belonged to Waste Management, “ Gore explained. “They never got a building permit.”

“Nobody has told me that they own it,” Gore said. “I’m just hanging loose until somebody tells me whose it is.”

Gore said if the county and Waste Management agree it belongs to the company, the office could go back five years to collect taxes which would amount to about $3,000 in taxes and penalties based on the $59,000 valuation, not Waste Management’s value of $325,000.

The Waste Management office building is listed with the tax office as well as a number of vehicles.

It is unclear why a building permit was never obtained or why no taxes have been paid on the building.

When asked about the building not being listed with the tax office, Commissioner Chairman James Prevatte had little to say about the situation.

“I have to be careful because there is some negotiation going on there,” he explained. “It’s not listed in their name at this time.”

It appears that possible offers, which Prevatte did not disclose, have put the tax issue on the back burner for now.

“I can’t divulge the contract negotiations right now but it doesn’t look as bleak as it did,” Prevatte said. “It’s a contract negotiation.”

Prevatte said he and others had met with Greg Peverall, a representative with Waste Management, to discuss the contract and a subsequent meeting was planned prior to Monday’s commissioners meeting.

Prevatte said he had requested that someone with the authority to make changes and actually negotiate the contract be at Monday’s (tonight’s) meeting and that person would likely be Peverall.

Under the county’s current transfer station agreement, which must be renewed by Dec. 31, the county owns the land the transfer station is on but does not own the building or most of the equipment used at the station.

The county does not receive any portion of fees per ton nor a reduction on its waste and user fees for hosting the transfer station, with the exception of 33 percent of the fee paid on inert debris dumped at the closed landfill.

The county finance office could not determine the exact amount of money being paid to the county for such measures but said it appeared to be minimal.

Public Utilities Director Leroy Sellers said it was his understanding very few trucks from out of county come into the station.

According to the contract, trash may be hauled into the station for transfer to larger trucks from a 100-mile radius, which would include other counties in North and South Carolina.

At the previous public meeting, several commissioners blasted the contract as being to the benefit of Waste Management.

Commissioner Bill Memory said the county appeared to be between a rock and hard place and pointed out the county residents had paid the company millions over the years only to be told a metal building on their own property was valued at $325,000.

Waste Management had offered to defer consumer price indexing increases for the first year of the renewal that would have saved the county more than $400,000 a year but most commissioners weren’t agreeing that it was such a great deal considering the county’s waste contract with the company is around $6 million and not including fuel surcharges.

“This is, in my opinion, a one-sided contract,” Commissioner Ronald Gore said Thursday, but pointed out he hoped negotiations would bring forth a better deal for the county. “We need to see some issues ironed out,” he said, pointing out “there is room for negotiation.” Ultimately he admitted: “I think we are going to have to renew the contract.”

Interim County Manager Leo Hunt was reluctant to comment on what his recommendation would be to commissioners.

He has prior commitment and will not be at Monday’s meeting but did have concerns that the board found out about the contract at such a late date – less than a month before its renewal .

“I wish I’d known about this earlier – this almost slipped by us,” Hunt said.

As for the building not being taxed, Hunt said that would likely change and referred the reporter to the tax office. “It looked like it belonged to us,” he explained.

Commissioners meet tonight (Monday) in the Dempsey Herring Courthouse Annex building at 6:30 p.m.

Other agenda items include a request that the county purchase additional land for the airport, a county recreation department update, and a scheduled closed session for personnel to interview manager candidates.