County seeks $6.8 million in back taxes

Property tax clerk Debra Brown readies notices on 4,700 properties for which taxes are past due.

County seeks $6.8 million in back taxes

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Wednesday, February 18. 2009

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Worried about the April 15 federal tax deadline? Local taxpayers who haven’t paid their county property taxes had better pay attention first to March 18. That is the date that the Barrow County Tax Commissioner’s Office is planning to execute tax liens — “writs of fieri facias” — against properties with unpaid property tax bills.

County tax staff this week mailed bright green notices to owners of about 4,700 properties with unpaid taxes. The county is attempting to immediately collect about $6.8 million, including $5.1 million overdue for 2008; $1.3 million for 2007; $300,000 for 2006; and $98,000 for 2005.

Among the property owners slated to receive some of the 4,700 overdue tax notices are the chairman of the Barrow County Board of Education and the chairman of the Barrow County Board of Commissioners.

Barrow County Tax Commissioner Melinda Williams said BOE Chairman William Bramlett had not paid his property taxes on multiple tracts for 2007 or 2008 by the deadlines. However, Williams said Bramlett paid all his back taxes — some $21,551 in taxes, penalties and interest — around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday following an inquiry from the Barrow Journal about his tax liability.

BOC Chairman Danny Yearwood owes $6,128 in 2008 property taxes that were due Dec. 15. That includes taxes and interest, but no penalties. Penalties don’t kick in until accounts are 90-days past due.

(For complete story, see the Feb. 18 issue of the Barrow Journal.)

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#1 Atticus Finch on 02/18/09 at 01:26 PM [Reply]

So, Billy Bramlett and Danny Yearwood don't pay their property taxes. How do they have the unmitigated temerity to "govern" us when they are a couple of chiselers? They ought to resign in shame posthaste.

#2 Anonymous on 02/18/09 at 02:14 PM [Reply]

amazing! he is willing to cut the pay of county employees, while not paying his property taxes. what a hypocrite.

#3 Anon on 02/18/09 at 07:51 PM [Reply]

Oh I guess you want Dougie back sounds like some more money he hasn't had a chance to blow that doesn't belong to him. You people need to get a life they broken no laws.

#3.1 Anonymous on 02/19/09 at 09:53 AM [Reply]

at least when doug was there, he didn't cut peoples pay so he could default on his taxes.

#3.2 anon on 02/19/09 at 10:11 AM [Reply]

You are right, no laws have been broekn. However, it has been proven when you hold public office, you are held to a higher standard. Ex. Bill Clinton. He didn't break the law either.
The problem lies with morality. How can someone sit in front of voters and say, we have no money and your services provoded by the County are going to be cut? Or tell the employees we can't afford to pay you? We have two elected officials who are complaining about money, but are also part of the problem.
If this was Washington, there would be a huge panel hearing. This has been proven over the last week. If you have watched the news, a few cabinet members have removed their names due to tax problems. What will Barrow County do?

#4 Anon on 02/18/09 at 10:32 PM [Reply]

So! Mr. Yearwood! Just by some simple mathematics, you owe the county a sum of money that is equal to my most recent pay cut and that of my fellow employees! You should be ashamed of yourself and step down as the Chairman of this County Commission. Do you honestly believe that we as county employees should follow you? Should we believe that your best interests are with the county? I am sure you just overlooked this as you were so proudly accepting your new appointment! Your a DISGRACE!!!

#5 Anonymous on 02/19/09 at 09:54 AM [Reply]

Mr. Yearwood has not broken the law or tried to get away with not paying his debts. He is not even considered "delinquent" yet by the county.
How about those of you with ZERO debt (and not behind on ANY of your bills) be the ones to first cast a stone? All others keep quiet about it.

#5.1 BB on 02/19/09 at 12:25 PM [Reply]

My husband & I attend the County Commission meetings on a regular basis & have witnessed the heart-felt struggle our Commissioners are challenged with during this economic crisis. I hope each one of them realize there are citizens in Barrow County that appreciate their efforts & direction even though we may not agree with all of their decisions. We have found they listen to the public & truly consider the best interest of their constituants as well as the County Employees.

#6 Elderly Lady on 02/19/09 at 11:24 AM [Reply]

We, as well as many others, had a hard time scraping up the money to pay our taxes by December 15th, 2008 which is the due date, only to find out that Yearwood was running around like a loose cannon firing people and cutting employees salaries and had not even bothered to pay his own taxes. Bramlett was proudly presiding over the BOE deciding how to spend taxpayers money and had not even bothered to pay his own taxes since 2006!! He paid only after the Barrow Journal exposed him. What would have happen if all of us deferred our payments, like Yearwood or chose to not pay at all like Bramlett? These two jerks can't be trusted and should be recalled or forced to resign.

This county deserves better leadership.

#6.1 anon on 02/19/09 at 06:33 PM [Reply]

Where were you when Doug, Jerry, Bill, Isiah, Billy, and Ben along with a personally picked group of others were blowing through the reserves with reckless abandon why weren't you calling for recall then the man is trying to do right why can't you see that is it really that hard

#7 Buford T. Justice on 02/19/09 at 12:05 PM [Reply]

I paid my property taxes on time, so by some cretin's "logic," that gives me the "right" to condemn deadbeats like Yearwood and "Little Prof." Bramlett.
Therefore, I do so. However, do not add my condemn into the pot with those scalded Barrow employees whining about a pay cut. Many of those dogs should have been eliminated -- not just reduced in pay. Most don't hit a lick at a snake, are rude to ordinary folks, and need to find employment in the Real World.

#8 Voice of Reason on 02/19/09 at 12:40 PM [Reply]

Isn't this typical for Barrow County? We finally have a person of Bill Bramlett's caliber as Chairman of the BOE and we read two sentences from an online article in the Barrow Journal, whose goal is to sell newspapers, and think we know the whole story. Eldery Lady, I have to disagree with you, at least for the BOE we couldn't have better leadership in place.

Mr. Bramlett has faithfully served on the Board of Education to make sure that the children of our county receive a proper education. He obviously doesn't do it for the money. Last time I checked there was not a huge line of people to run for the Board of Education. We need to respect those who put themselves out in the public eye and still have the guts to do what is right.

Let's use some common sense folks.

#8.1 Eugene Talamadge on 02/20/09 at 02:32 PM [Reply]

You are not so much a "Voice Of Reason" as a pathetic pimp-apologist for a miserable lack of ethics.
As in: "Mr" Bramlett is doing marvelous work in a thankless job, so the ignorant peons of benighted Barrow should lavish him with praise and overlook his crooked behavior. Thank you no. His feet should be held to the fire -- until he is well DONE.

#8.2 Anonymous on 03/09/09 at 06:19 AM [Reply]

If you are an elected public official, you must be held to a higher standard. There's no justification to your failure in paying taxes. For those who condones ans support his action, shame on you!

#9 Anonymous on 02/19/09 at 02:48 PM [Reply]

Everyone makes mistakes.And in case some people haven't noticed a lot of people are struggling in these tough times.

#9.1 red ryder on 02/23/09 at 05:43 PM [Reply]

"Everyone makes mistakes." This was no mistake. It was premeditated design, and I quote, "It was a business decision."

Yearwood made no mistake. It was intentional to NOT pay his taxes. If county employees are struggling, it's because taxpayers like him aren't paying what they owe.

#10 C.M. Thornton, III on 02/19/09 at 03:39 PM [Reply]

No wonder Yearwood don't want to raise property taxes. He obviously cant afford to pay the ones he owed LAST year...

#11 Henny Penny on 02/19/09 at 03:42 PM [Reply]

Could we have a moratorium on on posts from Billy's wife, brothers, cousins and bosom buddies? We know you would defend him no matter how infamous his offense. The fact is: He was YEARS behind in property tax (ironic in that property taxes are the precise form of theft use to finance the atrocity known as public schools) which presiding over the very mechanism that steals from people to finance marble floors, boondoogles and "eminent domain," a/k/a stealing land at the point of a gun. Then, when he was x-posed as a hypocrite, he went flying like Chicken Little to pay his bill.

#12 Joe Christmas on 02/19/09 at 05:47 PM [Reply]

Hey Henny Penney guess what the sky is falling. You call public schools an atrocity. Guess what kind of disaster you would have if there were no public schools and only rich people had an education. In that case even Lucy Goosey couldn't bail you out.

#12.1 Henny Penny on 02/19/09 at 11:30 PM [Reply]

Judging by your writing skills, I'd say you are a product of public schools. One reason they are an atrocity is that they turn out functionally illiterate whelps by the score. Another reason to condemn public schools is that they are financed by the abomination known as property tax. Our BoE chair must concur as he neglected to pay his for years until exposed by the press.

#12.1.1 Joe Christmas on 02/20/09 at 07:46 PM [Reply]

Henny Penny I am worried about you. You say that public schools are an atrocity financed by an abomination known as property tax. If you really believe this then the Chairman had a moral obligation not to participate in this abomination. Yet you criticize him for paying them late. With reasoning like this I can understand how Barrow county has become a land of losers and backward thinking philistines.

#12.1.1.1 Hewlett Packard on 02/21/09 at 08:28 AM [Reply]

No, the chairman had a legal obligation to pay his property taxes (like everyone else). He did not. Until the press exposed him as a hypocrite. Which he most certainly is -- since he presides over and supports the very system whose precepts he violates. You can twist, spin and pimp all you want, but Bramlett is tainted, unethical and unworthy of public office. If he was without sin, then he wouldn't have run his little tail to the tax office & paid his bill when he found out what the newspaper had in store for him. The sure sign of a scalded dog.

#13 Anonymous on 02/19/09 at 06:39 PM [Reply]

Laws have been broken. The County Ethics Ordinance says, "All county officials and employees shall pay and settle, in a timely and prompt fashion, all accounts between them and Barrow County, including the prompt payment of all taxes and shall otherwise demonstrate personal fiscal responsibility." And the Oath of Office in O.C.G.A. says, "Swear that he or she is not the holder of any unaccounted for public money due this state or any political subdivision or authority thereof." By not having paid his taxes he is violating county laws and his oath of office.

#13.1 Hendry Mill on 02/20/09 at 05:30 AM [Reply]

Come om. Have enough courage to sign your name. Have you paid your 2008 taxes? I haven't.

#13.1.1 R. Brogan on 02/20/09 at 09:02 AM [Reply]

There's a difference Hendry, you're not the BOC Chairman running the day to day operations of the county.

#14 Anonymous on 02/19/09 at 11:17 PM [Reply]

At first I wasn't even going to the polls and vote this past year. However, when you campaigned on being the People's Chairman, I did go and vote for you.

Sir, you have let us down. Going on record that not paying your property taxes was a good business decision. This is an insult to every person that paid taxes and voted for you.

Maybe, you should question if you should remain in office. I read in the paper that you were running our county solo since department heads resigned. I have grave concerns about your business competence.

#14.1 Anonymous on 02/24/09 at 07:29 PM [Reply]

Well I did go to the polls and vote, I voted for Yearwood
and would do it all again if need be. I also paid my
tax's AND I am not insulted.

Everyone is in trying times right now and I am sure that
Yearwood is as well. We all put our pants on one leg at a
time and he is no different. He has not broken any laws,and
I am sure that his tax's will also be paid.

So, the next time you want to cast your opinion, just
remember it is "your" opinion, please don't speak for me
or the rest of us.

#15 Anonymous on 02/20/09 at 10:46 PM [Reply]

Commissioners: It is obvious that Mr. Yearwood lacks good solid business management. A county leader would pay their property taxes. He should not be running this county solo.

Please reign in him. He does work for you and not the other way around. This applies to all district commissioners (1-6).

#16 Anonymous on 02/21/09 at 04:01 PM [Reply]

I think it is time for Mr. Yearwood to resign.

At least, Mr. Bramlett went and paid his taxes.

#16.1 Hypocrisy Run Amok on 02/23/09 at 12:20 AM [Reply]

"At least, Mr. Bramlett went and paid his taxes."

WHAT?!!!! You're kidding me...right?

Bramlett was Twenty One THOUSAND dollars delinquent 2 YEARS in ARREARS!!! Danny (although I'm angry with him and he should pay his taxes tomorrow) is 2 MONTHS in arrears, and 15 THOUSAND DOLLARS less than Bramlett.

You obviously have an agenda. What Bramlett has done is much worse than Danny. If you were consistent (and not perhaps Bramlett himself) you too would be calling for his resignation as well.

If you won't, I will: Hey Billy! RESIGN NOW DEADBEAT!!!

#16.1.1 Anonymous on 03/10/09 at 12:54 AM [Reply]

AMEN!!!!

#17 simple on 02/22/09 at 04:45 AM [Reply]

"Tax cheaters cheat us ALL".

#18 anonymous on 02/23/09 at 01:40 PM [Reply]

you fish with shark bait guess what you will catch

#19 senior citizen on 02/23/09 at 07:54 PM [Reply]

When the Chairman of the Barrow County Board of Commissioners and the Chairman of the Barrow County School Board don't bother to timely pay their taxes - it strongly encourages other citizens to do likewise. These two men have set poor examples for others to follow.

#20 ???Blamers and Fingerpointers??? on 02/23/09 at 08:46 PM [Reply]

Clean the slate 2008? What a joke. You cleaned it and now you still aren't
satisfied. First it was the adminstrators for the county, the HR lady, the
fire chief, then the sheriff, then Animal Control director, Then the
chairman.. Now the 911 director. Well if all are gone, Who will run this
county of ours? If someone has the answer to fix ALL the problems, then
plz run for an office or step up and fix the problem. Bickering amongst
oneselves only causes more issues. Find the solution and stick to it and
stop pointing fingers at someone to blame. how bout blame it on the ones
who AREN'T paying their overdue taxes.. Not just the elected officials who
haven't. God Bless this County of ours and the persons who have the
authority to try and fix the mess it's become!!!

#21 Anonymous on 03/13/09 at 11:00 AM [Reply]

Has Yearwood paid his taxes yet? This is disgraceful.

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County seeks $6.8 million in back taxes

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County seeks $6.8 million in back taxes

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