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Tax office reports about 53.3% of budgeted collections; Duke Energy dominates utility tax base
Summary
Tax office staff told commissioners the county had collected roughly 53.3% of the budgeted levy to date, listed refunds/releases and exemptions, and said public utility valuations rose this year with Duke Energy accounting for $36.6 million of the utility tax base.
Richard Brim, presenting the monthly tax office report on Sept. 23, told the Stokes County commissioners the office had collected about 53.3% of the year’s budgeted taxes to date and summarized categories of releases and refunds.
Brim listed four categories: releases less than $100 (18 accounts totaling $497.51), refunds less than $100 (three accounts totaling $108.78), releases greater than $100 (three accounts totaling $1,400.27) and refunds greater than $100 (15 accounts totaling $3,789.21). He said the office recorded 11 late applications for elderly tax relief, two late applications for the disabled-veterans exclusion and 14 inmate accounts tied to the county jail totaling $81,365.50 in write-offs.
Brim also reported that the county’s public utility valuation rose this year to about $96.2 million and said that increase amounted to roughly $10.8 million over the prior year. He noted Duke Energy represents the largest share of the public utility tax base at $36.6 million (roughly 92.3% of the public utility total). The presenter asked the board to move refunds and releases over $100, the late applications, and inmate billing write-offs to the Oct. 14 consent agenda for final approval.
Commissioners asked questions about the 2% early‑payment discount and whether collection percentages changed year to year; Brim said the percentage of taxpayers taking the discount was similar to last year and that escrowed accounts make up a large share of early payers.
