County collects nearly $200,000 in back taxes since last week

“The phone has been ringing,” said Tax Commissioner Melinda Williams in an email responding to questions from this newspaper.

Two of the county’s high-profile taxpayers – school board chairman William Bramlett and board of commissioners chairman Danny Yearwood – also have responded to the notices. Bramlett paid his $21,551 bill for tax years 2007 and 2008 on Feb. 18. Yearwood told Williams he would pay his $6,128 due for 2008 before the county’s 10-percent penalty kicks in.

Both Bramlett and Yearwood have been politically hammered over the issue in local blogs over the past week. Yearwood said Tuesday night that he is just doing what is available to every taxpayer. While he did miss the December payment date, his account isn’t really late until after March 15, he said.

Yearwood said he currently does not have the money to pay the taxes – in part, he said, because he ran full time for his political office last year instead of devoting his time to his car business and in part because some of the people renting his properties have not paid what they owe him.