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Whiteville appoints Allen Hyde as city tax collector; in-house property billing to start Aug. 18
Summary
City staff told the Whiteville City Council the systems to bill and collect property taxes in-house are nearly ready; the council appointed revenue assurance supervisor Allen Hyde as the official tax collector and voted to swear him in the same night.
The Whiteville City Council on June 24 appointed Allen Hyde as the city’s official tax collector and heard a staff update saying the city plans to begin billing and collecting property taxes in-house on Aug. 18.
City staff said the test environment for the new tax system is being finalized, staff training is scheduled for next week and payment portals and website changes are in a final editing phase. Staff said the target “open for business” date is Aug. 18, when the city intends to begin sending bills and accepting payments.
Council approval was required because, staff said, state statute requires the council to appoint an official tax collector. The council approved the recommendation by motion (moved by Mr. Harris; seconded by Mr. Clarity) and recorded the vote as “aye.” The motion carried. Staff also said Hyde has been bonded for $100,000 to fulfill the role and would be sworn in that evening if the council approved the appointment.
Why it matters: moving to in-house billing changes which office handles customer service, payment processing and revenue assurance for property taxes. City staff described a multi-step rollout that includes a test phase, staff training and finalizing payment portals before the planned Aug. 18 start date.
Details from the meeting: staff reported the system’s test environment was being worked on and that training for staff would occur the week after the meeting. Website modifications and payment portals were in a “final edit” phase. The council formally moved to accept Hyde as tax collector and those in favor said “aye.” Hyde is currently identified in the meeting as the city’s revenue assurance supervisor and, per staff, has a $100,000 bond that covers the responsibilities of the tax-collector role.
The record shows the council’s action was a formal appointment; the meeting transcript also records a short administration of the oath and brief remarks, after which the mayor thanked Hyde for taking on the additional responsibility. The council did not attach additional conditions to the appointment during the meeting.
Upcoming steps noted by staff included final testing, staff training, and the go-live date of Aug. 18 when the first city-generated tax bills will be mailed and the payment portal will accept receipts. The council did not vote on any ordinance or change to tax rates during the meeting.
