Tuesday, October 30, 2001

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ –A legal dispute earlier this month that prevented

Woodville residents from buying car tags in Wilkinson County will

be heard in Adams County Chancery Court on Wednesday.

Chancery Court Judge George Ward, who serves both Adams and

Wilkinson counties, scheduled a hearing on the case at 1 p.m.

in Natchez.

Wilkinson County Tax Assessor/Collector Wevlyn James filed

the lawsuit against the Woodville Board of Aldermen and the Wilkinson

County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 19.

It concerned the alleged failure of the two municipalities

to maintain an interlocal agreement for the collection of the

taxes.

&uot;They have failed to have a contract between them regarding

the collection of the city’s taxes,&uot; said Wayne Dowdy, James’

attorney.

The agreement was required for her office to collect the taxes,

Dowdy said.

&uot;She has, to her knowledge, complied with the law and

the city, and the county have failed to do so,&uot; he said.

With the matter of a valid agreement in question, James stopped

selling car tags and collecting taxes on mobile homes to Woodville

residents.

&uot;She’s afraid to (collect taxes),&uot; Dowdy said. &uot;The

AG’s office has told her she has no authority to do anything for

the city.&uot;

She stopped collecting the taxes at the beginning of October

and did not start collecting them until Oct. 24, when Ward granted

an injunction to the Woodville Board of Aldermen, said Woodville

Mayor Gary D’Aquila.

The problem began last month, when the aldermen sent James

a letter saying they no longer wanted her to collect the town’s

ad valorem taxes, Dowdy said.

They then sent a second letter to clarify this statement saying

that they still wanted her to sell car tags and collect taxes

on mobile homes. The change in policy only applied to real and

personal property taxes.

The purpose of Wednesday’s hearing is to determine if an interlocal

agreement exists allowing James’ office to collect city taxes,

Dowdy said.

And even if the city decided not to use James’s office for

this service, Dowdy thinks James should have received notice of

the change.

According to the lawsuit, not doing so puts a financial burden

on James and her office.

&uot;Should they not have given warning of their intention

to cancel the agreement if they cancel it?&uot; Dowdy said.

James’ office collected $5,800 a year by collecting the taxes

for the Town of Woodville, D’Aquila said.