BAMBERG – A delinquent tax figure for Bamberg that has almost quadrupled in the past 10 years has Bamberg City Council members and the Bamberg County Delinquent Tax Collector working towards a solution.

City Clerk Bruce Watson gave an overview of the situation and its causes during the council’s regular meeting Monday night.

Watson said the continuously rising figure – at $270,995 for 2008, compared to $72,000 for 1998 – had been concerning him for some time. Watson began looking into the matter and discovered the bulk of the past due taxes were the result of businesses neglecting to either file the appropriate forms with the South Carolina Department of Revenue to have items such as equipment and fixtures properly valued, or not paying those taxes at all.

Watson said most businesses actually receive two tax notices, one from the county for property and one from the Department of Revenue for their equipment and fixtures.

He said the bulk of the past due taxes were from one business in town, owing approximately $130,000 from a Department of Revenue valuation.

Businesses who receive these bills from the Department of Revenue can complete a form that allows them to declare the value of the equipment, Watson said. But many do not realize they should be doing this, and end up with the Department placing a value on the equipment, he said.

Watson said he contacted other municipalities about how they handle the collections. Orangeburg County does not allow a business to renew its license if there are delinquent taxes on the rolls.

Bamberg City Council members discussed this as an option, but took no action. Cleaning up the rolls would likely return the city to near its 1998 average for delinquent taxes, Watson said.

In other business, council:

* Appointed Charles Ayers to fill a vacancy on the Planning Commission.

* Appointed Robert Thomas to fill a vacancy on the Board of Zoning Appeals.

* Heard Insurance Commissioner Janeth Walker report that employees who use tobacco, including smokeless products, would be charged an additional $25 a month for health care premiums, with the increase slated to begin in 2010.

* Noted that the city is still accepting applications for vendors for the Antique Treasurefest to be held Nov. 7-8. Vendors interesting in participating in the festival can contact Patti Barton at Bamberg Town Hall at 803-245-5128.

T&D Correspondent Phyllis A. Overstreet can be reached by e-mail at paoverstreet@bellsouth.net.

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