County turns down opportunity to operate tag office

Following a brief presentation by Tax Administrator Mary Walker, the Alleghany County Board of Commissioners declined to take over the franchise for the Alleghany License Plate Agency. The commissioners noted that the agency likely will be taken over by a private individual now that the county has stepped out of the picture.

The agency, often called the "tag office" locally, had been operated by Georgia Warden since the late 1960s. Warden opted to retire, closing the office last month.

Warden closed the tag office under her supervision for the final time last Friday, Nov. 16. The 85 year old had been working regular hours at the office since 1967, when she and her late husband Cecil opened it inside their Western Auto Store.

The commission had asked Walker to investigate operating the office as a service to county residents. Information provided by Walker showed that the revenues from the office would not be enough to pay for the needed employees and other costs associated with the office. Recent legislation that will take effect in July 2010 will require that taxes on vehicles be paid up front, meaning that the taxes for that vehicle will be due at the time a license plate is issued. The county will then be reimbursed by the state for its vehicle taxes, according to the new protocol. However, until that time, the local tax office will continue collecting vehicle taxes.

Alleghany currently has a collection rate of about 83 percent, Chair Ken Richardson noted. He asked how much revenue the county loses from the shortfall.

Walker said she didn’t have figures available at the meeting. "Every county in the state has problems with this," she said.

Richardson noted that the shortfall could mean significant revenue for the county in the future.

 

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