County pushing Norman to consider taxing their residents

NORMAN — The Norman Town Council approved their budget for the 2021-2022 fiscal year at their monthly meeting on Monday.

They drafted a budget that included $30,000 from Richmond County, as well as one without that money. The expectation is if the county doesn’t approve their budget with the additional $30,000, they can amend their budget with a $10,000 certificate of deposit.

Norman lost 100% of its sales tax revenue following the Board of Commissioners’ decision in April 2020 to change to an ad valorem sales tax distribution method. With very little other revenue, the town has since considered dissolving.

In a May 11 meeting with Richmond County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jeff Smart and Richmond County Manager Bryan Land, members of the Town Council were asked about some projects that money from the county could potentially assist with. Included in that conversation was assistance with buildings in disrepair and funds toward NormanFest, which was canceled in 2020.

Town Council members all stated that they were advised by Smart and Land to look into starting the process of becoming a taxable entity, meaning they would start levying taxes for the first time. Norman does not collect any taxes from its residents currently. Smart confirmed that the conversation about Norman becoming a taxable entity came up in talks with town leaders, but added it was “just a suggestion.”

However, in a previous meeting in August of 2020 with Jean Klein, the Regional Planning Director of the Lumber River Council of Governments, Klein informed the council that the cost of hiring an individual to collect the taxes would not result in any net profit for the town.

“It’s not doable unless the county is willing to support the collection,” Councilwoman Renate Mann said. “We can’t collect it ourselves.”

Mann added that hiring an individual would cause them to break even or even lose money.

“We explained everything to [the county],” Mayor Pro Tem Stephen Cranford said. “Even what the Lumber River COG said. It didn’t seem to phase them. They still stressed strongly that we do the tax.”

Town Clerk Glenda McInnis said there would need to be a meeting to vote against or for the prospect of levying taxes in Norman.

“Unless [Richmond County] were to send out the bills and help collect it for us, [Jean Klein’s] assessment said we’d go in the hole,” McInnis said.

Mann reiterated that for a full resolution, another meeting with the county would be necessary.

Pallet business likely to move

Mayor Tonia Collins said she’s expecting Alfonso Carillo, the owner of the wood pallet business occupying the Norman community center, will most likely not renew his lease. Carillo’s monthly $450 rent payments have been the town’s primary source of income since he opened his business

Carillo completed the previous two months of rent payment that the Council was worried would not be fulfilled. Carillo will have completed all of his payments after one final check for the month of June, besides a utility bill at the end of the month.

The council discussed various dates of when to notify Carillo that he must relocate. An exact date was not determined.

There has been tension between Carillo over recent months because of the stacks of wood pallets that piled up next to the road in town, causing residents and council members to view them as a potential hazard to drivers.

Deputies responding to reports of burglaries

Resident Hilda Pemberton voiced concerned about a few burglaries in Norman.

Mann said she’s aware of six incidents of an unknown suspect cutting the catalytic converters off of various vehicles. Only two have been reported to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, according to Major Jay Childers.

Mann stated that she’s been in contact with the Sheriff’s Office, who are aware of the situation and have been monitoring the area.

Next meeting

The next Norman meeting is scheduled for July 5 at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall.