Randolph County Commission approves 27 tax-bill exonerations after assessor cites errors on Dish Network accounts

Randolph County Commission voted unanimously on Aug. 23, 2024, to approve 27 tax-bill exonerations after Randolph County Assessor Phyllis Yokum reported that Dish Network accounts had been entered with the wrong tax schedule and required correction before prepayment and discounts could be applied.

Yokum told the commission at a special session at the James F. Cain Court House Annex that Dish Network contacted her office and that the errors affected accounts in multiple counties. She said the company had 12 tax tickets it wanted to prepay to receive an early-payment discount and that a special meeting was needed to authorize exonerations so corrected bills could be processed.

"Dish Network contacted her office about their tax bills and it was found that their tax bills were incorrect," Yokum said, describing how her office worked with the State to identify entries that had been entered with the wrong schedule.

Commissioner Chris See moved to approve the 27 exonerations "as submitted." The motion passed unanimously; Commission President Chris Siler and Commissioner See voted yes. Commissioner David Kesling was recorded as absent. After the exonerations vote, Commissioner See moved to adjourn, and the motion to adjourn also passed unanimously.

The record notes the exonerations were intended to correct the tax schedules so prepayments and discounts could be applied; no additional details about which tax parcels beyond Dish Network’s 12 tickets were specified in the meeting record, nor were dollar amounts provided.