THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 6, 1994 TAG: 9410060478
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines
Dare County Tax Assessor Jim Kelly says he was just trying to do his job, calculating the value of cars, boats, mobile homes and other personal assets.
But, he says, County Manager Terry Wheeler wouldn't let him.
Instead, Chief Collector Michelle Evans is doing some of the assessing. She, Kelly says, is assessing the value of all personal property, about $105 million worth, and collecting the taxes on it.
That flies in the face of the state statute, Kelly says.
So he's resigned.
The 10-year veteran county employee submitted his resignation on Tuesday.
He will leave his downtown Manteo tax office - and his $37,142 job - by November.
``It was just a case of an employee being disgruntled and deciding not to live like that any more,'' Kelly said Wednesday. ``Based on what the county manager's interpretation of my job was, I couldn't continue to serve as tax assessor.
``I don't believe what he's doing is legally correct.''
County spokesman Charlie Hartig said Dare County ``respectfully disagrees with Jim's contention and is sorry to see him go.
``To my knowledge,'' Hartig said, ``we have no plans to change our policies for assessing personal property taxes.
``The county manager - and Board of Commissioners - all feel that Ms. Evans is doing an excellent job.''
Kelly's resignation is the most recent in a series of shake-ups in the Dare County tax department.
In April 1993, less than two weeks after telling county employees that they had seen the last of the year's dozen layoffs, Wheeler fired Tax Administrator Don Hux.
Hux said, at the time, that he was dismissed because he was hesitant to fire an assistant tax administrator whom Wheeler had ordered discharged.
Although Hux was let go, the assistant administrator stayed on the payroll but was transferred out of the tax office. She is now employed in the county's purchasing department.
After Hux was fired, Wheeler split the tax administrator's duties into two jobs. Kelly became chief assessor, and Evans became chief collector.
``Michelle had been assessing non-business personal property taxes in her former post and didn't want to turn loose that part of her job,'' Kelly said. ``The county manager wouldn't ask her to. He was trying to keep everybody happy.
``But that just doesn't agree with the statute.''
MANTEO - Dare County Tax Assessor Jim Kelly says he was just trying to do his job, calculating the value of cars, boats, mobile homes and other personal assets.
But, he says, County Manager Terry Wheeler wouldn't let him.
Instead, Chief Collector Michelle Evans is doing some of the assessing. She, Kelly says, is assessing the value of all personal property, about $105 million worth, and collecting the taxes on it.
That flies in the face of the state statute, Kelly says.
So he's resigned.
The 10-year veteran county employee submitted his resignation on Tuesday.
He will leave his downtown Manteo tax office - and his $37,142 job - by November.
``It was just a case of an employee being disgruntled and deciding not to live like that any more,'' Kelly said Wednesday. ``Based on what the county manager's interpretation of my job was, I couldn't continue to serve as tax assessor.
``I don't believe what he's doing is legally correct.''
County spokesman Charlie Hartig said Dare County ``respectfully disagrees with Jim's contention and is sorry to see him go.
``To my knowledge,'' Hartig said, ``we have no plans to change our policies for assessing personal property taxes.
``The county manager - and Board of Commissioners - all feel that Ms. Evans is doing an excellent job.''
Kelly's resignation is the most recent in a series of shake-ups in the Dare County tax department.
In April 1993, less than two weeks after telling county employees that they had seen the last of the year's dozen layoffs, Wheeler fired Tax Administrator Don Hux.Hux said, at the time, that he was dismissed because he was hesitant to fire an assistant tax administrator whom Wheeler had ordered discharged.
Although Hux was let go, the assistant administrator stayed on the payroll but was transferred out of the tax office. She is now employed in the county's purchasing department.
After Hux was fired, Wheeler split the tax administrator's duties into two jobs. Kelly became chief assessor, and Evans became chief collector.
``Michelle had been assessing non-business personal property taxes in her former post and didn't want to turn loose that part of her job,'' Kelly said. ``The county manager wouldn't ask her to. He was trying to keep everybody happy.
``But that just doesn't agree with the statute.'' by CNB