MORGANTOWN — Regardless of whether Amendment 2 ultimately passes or fails, you still have to pay your taxes.
Monongalia County Chief Tax Deputy Kelly Palmer said her office is getting inundated with calls from citizens concerned about whether or not they’ll have to pay should the constitutional amendment get approved.
“We’re just wanting people to understand that even if it does pass, they’ll still have to pay their ’22 taxes as well as taxes moving forward until legislation is passed with a process,” Palmer explained.
Assessor Mark Musick said his office is getting the same calls.
Passage of Amendment 2 doesn’t eliminate anything. It would change the West Virginia Constitution, which currently puts property taxation in the hands of the 55 counties, to enable the Legislature to govern taxation of the personal property tax for business inventory, equipment and machinery, and for motor vehicles.
If the legislature wanted to eliminate car taxes or make any other changes, it would need to pass future legislation doing so.
Palmer also noted that the window to pay delinquent real estate taxes from the 2020-‘21 tax year ends at 5 p.m. Monday.
The following morning, any properties with outstanding taxes will be certified to the state auditor. At that point, the matter will have to be settled through the auditor’s office or the property will ultimately be sold.
This shortened process is the result of Senate Bill 552, which went into effect earlier this year.
In other county news, Monongalia County Commission President Tom Bloom said he was contacted by a loss prevention professional with gas and grocery chain Sheetz regarding local efforts to curb vagrancy downtown.
According to Bloom, he passed the letter on to the Morgantown City Manager’s office.
“They are considering multiple actions such as hiring permanent guards, a reconstruction of the building lot or even closing down,” Bloom said, referencing the University Avenue Sheetz location.
Also on Wednesday, the commission approved a proclamation recognizing 50 years of women in the Mountaineer Marching Band.
The proclamation explains that following the passage of Title IX in 1972, newly-hired band director Don Wilcox invited 12 females to attend band camp. Seven more women would end up joining the band during that school year.
