To meet a legal requirement, the Simpson County Board of Supervisors met last Friday, which was the last day of the budget year. They met again on Monday of this week, the first day of the new budget year.
Perhaps one of the biggest issues to come before the board last week was the request to reassess the taxes for Mississippi Hub to about 25 percent of the current valuation of $600 million for a new valuation of $125 million.
The valuation would be based on purchase price compared to construction cost approach. Part of the issue is that the property was not purchased as a single property but as part of a group purchase.
The attorney representing Mississippi Hub, Sheldon Austin, along with Shaun Roach, Chief Financial Officer for Enstore, which owns the facility at present, told the board that the current tax rate for the facility is 44 percent compared to other locations that are being taxed at between 2 and 4 percent.
Enstore is in the process of selling the facility to J. P. Morgan. Roach told the board that the company would be happy to provide specifics of the sale as soon as the figures become available.
Supervisor Donnie Welch said that the management had not been forthright with information when the county requested it in the past. That information was to specify who was storing natural gas on December 31 of each year because that company would be taxed on volume of materials stored.
According to the county, only three businesses were ever identified, and the inventory on December 31 was zero. The figure would be used to determine the amount of taxes that would be due to the county.
When the issue was examined by the court, the court ruled in favor of the county’s position. The case has now been sent to the Mississippi Supreme Court for their opinion.
Members of the staff, as well as Simpson County School board President Danny Cowart, were in the gallery observing the conversation. Much of the funding for the planned new county consolidated high school is expected to come from the taxes generated by the Mississippi Hub gas storage facility.
In other business, the county has voted to proceed with the passage of an ordinance dealing with animal control. It addresses nuisance dogs and those that are considered dangerous. While the specifics have yet to be determined, the Board of Supervisors is working to finalize approval of the ordinance.
The owners of the dogs in question will be held financially liable for violations. The ordinance also takes into account the liability in a situation in which a stray animal comes up to a property and someone there starts feeding and taking care of that animal that then becomes a problem animal.
The county has currently completed three state-funded road projects and has been told to spend the excess funds on projects that would enhance the work that had been paid for by the state. The funds can be used on signage, grass, flood control or access for paving on these particular projects.
Three percent pay raises were given to county employees but did not include Justice Court judges, the county attorney or the supervisors.
Confusion continues over the county’s plan to build a new trustee hall to architectural standards and how to get possible savings to the county. Board Attorney, Danny Welch is to contact the architect for specifics because a reduction in cost for certain specifications for the work has been mentioned.
The next meeting of the Board of Supervisors is set for Friday, October 14.
