• Cerro Gordo residents do not pay county water tax

By NICOLE CARTRETTE
Staff Writer

An error on Cerro Gordo Mayor “Sonny” Hammond’s County property record card is the cause of confusion over whether town residents pay special county water taxes.

Columbus County Tax Administrator Richard Gore contacted The News Reporter on Thursday (July 19), after an article was published explaining that Hammond had asked the Board of Commissioners to exempt Cerro Gordo residents from special water district taxes since the town has its own water system.

Gore explained that Cerro Gordo residents do not pay county water taxes.

Further investigation into the matter and a search of property tax records online confirmed that property within the city limits is coded “CG” for Cerro Gordo and property outside the city limits but in county Water District II is coded “W2” for Water District II.
Property listed in Hammond’s name, however, was coded with both, meaning he has been billed both taxes in error.

When contacted about the error, Gore said the problem must have come about in 2004 when Hammond’s property in the town limits was mapped. Prior to that, Gore said, the property’s actual location was not known.

“Nobody knew where it was,” Gore said. “That’s probably what happened – it was very much flagged wrong.” Gore said it is likely the mayor is the only one in the town listed with both taxes.

Hammond was surprised to hear the details of the situation Thursday afternoon and didn’t seem to be too upset about it. He pointed out that his letter wasn’t a demand but a polite request.

“It may have been an honest mistake,” Hammond said of the error on his property card. He explained that he was only trying to look out for the best interests of the residents and that the town board had approved asking the county about the taxes.

“Well, at least there has been an investigation into it,” Hammond said. “I’ll talk to Richard.
“I’ve got my receipts where I paid it right here in front of me – he’ll straighten it out.”

Hammond, under the impression the entire town was taxed and having been told by as many as four or five residents they were paying the tax, said the town had consulted with Tabor City Manager Al Leonard about the matter.

Leonard works as a special consultant to the town and on a part time basis with several other municipalities in Columbus County.

Leonard had explained if the town had its own water system residents shouldn’t be paying water district taxes and it should be brought to the county’s attention, Hammond explained.
The revelation follows recent mention of the matter at a Columbus County Board of Commissioner meeting.

Commissioner Ricky Bullard said Monday he had received a request that the town residents not have to pay special taxes on property in Cerro Gordo.

“The citizens of Cerro Gordo will never be water customers of Water District II. Therefore we respectfully ask that the tax parcels in our town be exempted from District II tax, just as Boardman and Fair Bluff have been exempted,” Hammond wrote.

Bullard, who represents District 6 and portions of Cerro Gordo, received the letter and asked that the matter be investigated. The Board of Commissioners took no formal action.

Details about the tax applying to Cerro Gordo were unclear. A map from the county management information systems (MIS) showed Cerro Gordo as a non-county water district area like Fair Bluff and Boardman but several departments contacted couldn’t verify if the town was exempt.