Fountain, others owe taxes
Published 1:00 am Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The names of a boat manufacturer, a nonprofit housing group, a county commissioner and a member of the Beaufort Regional Health System Board of Commissioners appear on a list of Beaufort County’s delinquent taxpayers published in today’s Washington Daily News.
The overdue amounts showing on this list are for the 2010 tax year, and they do not reflect interest or penalties, according to officials in the Beaufort County tax collector’s office.
Tax records that do include interest or penalties reveal Fountain Powerboats of Chocowinity owes $26,890.20 in property taxes.
All of the past-due properties – six parcels – in question look to be located just off Whichard’s Beach Road, where the company’s campus is sited.
A company official authorized to speak about the overall tax bill wasn’t available for comment Tuesday.
In late November 2010, it was announced four boat-making operations would be consolidated on the Fountain campus, bringing perhaps 411 or more jobs to the county during the next five years.
Keith Crisco, North Carolina’s secretary of commerce, said the announcement preceded an investment of $5.1 million through 2015.
The company’s efforts at relocation and expansion were spurred by a $150,000 grant from the state’s One North Carolina Fund.
Also appearing on the overdue-taxes list is Metropolitan Housing and Community Development Corp., a publicly funded nonprofit organization based in Washington.
With interest added, Metropolitan owes $2,085.67 for two parcels that county property maps show are located at 332 N. Market St., Washington.
Calls to the Rev. David Moore, longtime president and chief executive officer of Metropolitan, were not returned Tuesday.
This marks the second year in a row Metropolitan has appeared on the county’s overdue-taxes list.
Last year, it was reported the entity had an outstanding tax bill of $7,768.43.
Called for comment in May 2010, Moore, a former Beaufort County commissioner, indicated he was unaware Metropolitan was delinquent in its 2009 tax-year payments.
That same day, the tax collector’s office confirmed a partial tax payment had been made, following Moore’s comments.
Metropolitan’s website says the nonprofit is a “faith-based organization” that “has developed more than 900 units of safe, sanitary, affordable single- and multi-family housing as well as needs-appropriate housing for seniors, survivors of domestic violence, HIV/AIDS patients and their families, and people with handicaps.”
From December 2008 through December 2009, Beaufort County granted Metropolitan Community Health Services $279,000 to get the Agape Dental Clinic up and running.
The health-services nonprofit and the clinic are separate from Metropolitan housing, partly because they receive public and other funds from different streams.
Also on the late-taxes list is Howard Cadmus, a member of the local regional health-system board.
The properties – listed under the name of Cadmus and another person or listing Cadmus as a trustee with a revocable trust – have past-due balances of $19,906.26 on county tax records, including interest.
Three of these properties are in the Pamlico Plantation community, the records read.
“I don’t believe any of them are in my name,” Cadmus said when reached for comment.
Told the name showing on relevant tax records is Howard Walter Cadmus, Cadmus confirmed that is his full name.
“I usually pay them throughout the year,” he said. “There shouldn’t be three. It seems erroneous.”
Cadmus added he owns two pieces of property in Pamlico Plantation, not three.
The county commissioner on the list is Stan Deatherage, whose name showed up on last year’s list as well.
The list indicates Deatherage and family members owe $2,513.48, excluding any interest or penalties.
Tax-office officials explained this is property co-owned by Deatherage, and that the land is “in dispute.”
The officials said Deatherage had paid tax bills for his own real property.
Deatherage further confirmed the reports from the tax office.
“I paid what taxes I owe two-thirds (or 100 percent) of,” he said. “There is some property that is in control of my sister, and she’s responsible for paying those taxes. I have a minor interest in those properties.”
He added, “I’m completely, 100-percent paid.”
In total, the county is owed $2,329,447.41 million in property taxes for 2010, excluding interest and penalties.