The Choctaw County Supervisors is revising their garbage bill policy after one resident raised the question as to why she was back billed for 16 months, when she’s only received one pickup at the home.
Wanda Vowell said that after she came to the board in March, she received a bill that was backdated at least 16 months that had her old address, when her family lived in District 4 to her new address in District 3.
Vowell said she didn’t understand why she received a bill for over $200, which had her new address and old address on the same bill and a separate bill for her old address.
She said they’d moved from the location in District 4 and been in District 3 for about two years. Vowell said after the meeting in March, Supervisor Chris McIntire had to call Solid Waste and request pickup for the Vowell home. She said Chancery Clerk Steve Montgomery gave her what the board followed, which states that if there is electricity to a home, whether occupied or not, a bill will still go to the home.
She said that she didn’t think that she had to tell them that she moved because when they applied for homestead, they used the homestead for the new address.
“You all approved the homestead right?” Vowell asked. “Well, it was in the homestead. Y’all approved it.”
“Well, I didn’t know it,” McIntire said.
Tax Assessor Lori Kerr told Vowell that solid waste goes by tags and not homestead. She said if the Vowells have not moved their tags to their new address, they have no way of knowing they’ve moved.
She said while they were cleaning out the old home in District 4, she didn’t request a new can. Vowell said she just took the garbage from one location to the other.
“You just admitted in here that you were using the service,” Supervisor McIntire said. He said it didn’t matter that Vowell didn’t request a can at the home, she was still using the service.
Supervisor Joey Stephenson said he’s seen a similar situation where the family moved across the road and never notified anyone of the move.
Supervisor John Shumaker said there was also an incident in his district where the owner came to the board because he didn’t feel he owed the bill.
“He didn’t stay here, he lived up north somewhere,” he said.
“Weren’t there like squatters in the home?” McIntire asked. Shumaker said there was and the owner still had to pay the bill.
“Think our policy may need to be tightened up a bit. There’s a home in my district, no one lives in. But, they have electricity to it. IDK why, but they pay their bill every month and have been in for the past seven to eight years.
Vowell asked how was her moving any different from a person moving to the nursing home. Stephenson said he’s had people in his district tell him they were moving to the nursing home.
“They had to prove to me that’s where they were,” he said.
Vowell said questioned two homes, one that she said had five garbage cans and one where she said the family had a hunting cabin – that was not a hunting cabin.
Supervisor Betty Bruce said if the board is going to allow Vowell to “set aside” the back payment, they would have to do it for everybody.
“You’re going to open up a can of worms,” she said.
