FIRE DUES BEING INCLUDED ON THIS YEAR’S CHRISTIAN COUNTY PROPERTY TAX BILLS HAS CAUSED MORE CONTROVERSY THAN MOST EVER ANTICIPATED.

            PUBLIC COMMENTS LASTED WELL OVER 30 MINUTES AT THIS MORNING’S CHRISTIAN FISCAL COURT MEETING, WITH CROFTON AREA RESIDENT JACKIE WILKINS USING A MAJORITY OF THAT TIME.

            MS. WILKINS TOLD COURT SHE GOT A REGULAR BILL FROM THE CROFTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEN WAS BILLED A SECOND TIME ON HER PROPERTY TAX BILL, THOUGH JUDGE-EXECUTIVE STEVE TRIBBLE SAID THE PROPERTY TAX BILL IS FOR NEXT YEAR’S COVERAGE.

            THE FIRST BILL WAS FOR 30 DOLLARS AND THE SECOND FOR 50, WHICH 8^TH DISTRICT MAGISTRATE TERRY BOWMAN SAID WAS AN UNAUTHORIZED HIKE IN RATES BY THAT FIRE DEPARTMENT. JUDGE TRIBBLE SAID MULTILPLE DEPARTMENTS CHOSE TO RAISE DUES AFTER COURT INCLUDED THEM ON THE PROPERTY TAX BILL, WHICH HE SAID HE WOULD NOT HAVE DONE IN THEIR POSITION.

            PEMBROKE MAYOR PAULETTE STEWART SPOKE ON BEHALF OF HER CITIZENS WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE EXEMPT FROM SEEING DUES ON PROPERTY TAX BILLS. MAGISTRATE JACK LACKEY EXPLAINED THEY ALREADY PAID THEIR DUES IN CITY PROPERTY TAXES, BUT A CLERICAL ERROR PLACED THE DUES ON THE COUNTY BILL.

            SQUIRE LACKEY SAYS IF YOU LIVE IN THE CITY LIMITS OF PEMBROKE, DEDUCT THE DUES FROM YOUR COUNTY PROPERTY TAX BILL WHEN YOU PAY.

            SHERIFF LIVY LEAVELL SAYS HE WILL WORK WITH THE PVA OFFICE TO REFUND PEMBROKE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE ALREADY PAID THEIR DUES ON THE PROPERTY TAX BILL.