Commissioners sign off on street assessment roll
By Steve Herring
Published in News on August 22, 2018 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Steve Cole thanks Wayne County commissioners for street repairs in the Canterbury Village and North Creek subdivisions during a Tuesday morning public hearing on tax assessments for the project.
For the first time in years, motorists driving through Canterbury Village and North Creek subdivisions won't have to worry about dodging huge potholes.
However, it now falls to property owners in those two subdivisions to begin paying for the improvements at a cost of $15,789.38 per buildable lot.
The final assessment for the street improvements was approved by Wayne County commissioners following a Tuesday morning public hearing that attracted only two speakers, both of whom expressed appreciation to the board.
"Commissioners, I have been up here several times before to speak about the project," said Steve Cole. "I have not changed my mind. I am absolutely pleased with the project.
"I know a lot of different people have opinions about it, but I am telling you it would not have happened any other way without your help."
It was a huge project with a lot of complexities and was actually a bigger project than what most of the property owners had realized, he said.
Resident Scott Glasgow thanked Cole for his leadership and for keeping residents informed. It was a great project and the roads are awesome, he said.
One lesson to learn for future projects is to look for items that might result in change orders that slow the process, he said. Those change orders and delays can contribute to the final cost, too, Glasgow said.
Residents in the two subdivisions first approached commissioners nearly three years ago imploring their help to improve the streets to state standards. The goal was to have the roads accepted into the state road maintenance system.
The road work has been completed and the streets approved by the N.C. Department of Transportation.
North Carolina law allows counties to create special tax-assessment districts, provided enough property owners in the district agree. The property owners repay the cost through a special property assessment. All property owners in the subdivisions, including those who signed a petition asking for the work, will have to pay the assessment.
Commissioner Joe Daughtery said that Cole needed recognition because he had taken on the project.
"It really just shows how a community can come together when it is spearheaded with some leadership," Daughtery said.
Commissioner Ed Cromartie agreed and said that Commissioner Ray Mayo deserved recognition, as well, for his efforts on behalf of his district where the subdivisions are located north of Goldsboro.
Commissioner Wayne Aycock said credit also is due to former County Manager George Wood who suggested using the state law that allows the creation of special assessment districts when the commissioners did not want to take on the project.
'We need this in every district in the county," Mayo said. "There is a need for road repairs in subdivisions, mobile home parks, wherever."
The final project cost of $1,921,405.04 was significantly under the initial estimate of $2,199,456 and well under the state's initial $3 million estimate, staff attorney Andrew Neal said.
The $1,921,405.04 divided by the 121 buildable lots in the subdivisions translates to $15,789.38 per lot, he said.
The county tax office will post a public notice on Sept. 10 that the assessment rolls have been confirmed. It also will notify property owners that if they pay the lump sum within 30 days, they will not be assessed any interest. Oct. 10 will be the last day to pay without interest. Interest of 5 percent will begin Oct. 11.
Since property tax bills have already been prepared, the initial billing will be from the Wayne County Finance Department where the payment will be accepted as well, Neal said.
The assessment will be included in a property owner's annual property tax bill in following years.
Mayo said he received phone calls from residents in the subdivisions wanting to know who is responsible for exposed cables or washout areas around driveways.
County Manager Craig Honeycutt said the county will attempt to work with the property owners in the short term. However, future questions of that nature will need to be directed to the DOT, Neal said.
Mayo asked Neal if he could provide information about the total interest a person can expect to pay over the life of the assessment. Neal said he would get that information.