Curbside Pick-up May Be Billed Annually
Jasper residents will be billed $168 for 2007 curbside pick-up in January, and will accrue finance charges if they do not pay the bill within 30 days of receipt, according to an ordinance the Jasper County Commission discussed at a called meeting Wednesday morning.
However, those who do pay within 30 days are entitled to a $14 annual discount.
The commission approved the “first reading” of two ordinances when they met yesterday morning, and plan to fully approve them at a meeting next Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 8 a.m. in the Commission meeting room.
The curbside fee ordinance amendment as approved, 3-2, calls for annual billing of curbside customers, as well as an increase in the monthly amount. The bill will be increased from the current $12 per month to $14 per month.
A few people were at Wednesday’s meeting and gave their opinions on the new billing plan. Charles Forsythe told the commissioners that they are creating a burden on elderly people and others on a fixed income. He asked who the change would benefit saying, “I thought the taxpayer is who you worked for.”
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Francis Cason reiterated those remarks and asked for the dollar figure in etermining “efficiency,” since efficiency was cited for the reason for the change from quarterly to annual billing. “You don’t have any compassion for people who can’t afford to pay it [curbside bill],” he said.
Joe McMichael suggested the county will lose customers by expecting them to pay annually. This reporter went so far as to tell the commissioners they were crazy to put that burden on the taxpayers.
The first item on the agenda was the creation of a special fire protection tax district. The tax district would be those areas served by fire hydrants through the county water system.
The commissioners discussed the proposal in a closed session during their regular meeting last week, however the actual document relating to the district was not available until Wednesday morning when County Attorney Kevin Brown brought it with him to the meeting.
Therefore, commissioners and the public could not read the proposal before the first reading held at yesterday’s meeting. The ordinance is expected to be adopted at a called meeting next Wednesday, Dec. 20.
That meeting was originally scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 28, so the public would have two weeks to review the proposed ordinances, but Commissioner Bob Yarbrough asked for the change; the county attorney said it was legal, and so it was changed.
Therefore, citizens can expect to pay more to the county next year, but have been allowed very little time to give input.
The fire district ordinance will require all taxpayers with insured structures within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant to pay an additional $50 per year. Most of these property owners will see a reduction in their property insurance bills because of the proximity of fire hydrants.
