Fire Fee Punishes Mobile Home Owners / Renters

Mobile Home Owners, 

If you live in Pickens County, do you know that you pay the same Fire Fee in your property taxes on a mobile home as someone who lives in a 5,000 sq. ft. home?  Billy Gibson, the fire chief for Pickens, quoted only a few weeks ago, “…I don’t like the flat rate fee for mobile home owners either.  It doesn’t take nearly the resources a 5,000 sq. ft. home would.”  So why in the world are they charging these ridiculous rates?  To give you an example of the questionable fee, someone with a mobile home valued at $2500 would pay $132 in yearly taxes, of which $100 solely in the fire fee.  Over 300% of your property taxes are in fire fees.  

The council knows this is an issue.  It is a legitimate argument and we need to voice our opinion at the next county council meeting.  If you happen to be one of these mobile home owners, regardless if you rent it out or use as a primary residence, please attend the next county council meeting which will be held at the Pickens County Administration Facility at 222 McDaniel Ave. on Monday, November 16 at 6:30 p.m.     

This council recently rescinded a fire fee placed on all vacant lots after the community complained.  If enough property owners voice their opinion in opposition, the council members would have to address.   

Thank you for your time! 

Deana McAnulty

Conservatives Of The Upstate 

Conservatives,

Some of you may feel this is not your problem because you don't live in or own a mobile home.  But let me refresh your memory about some of the things that are going on in our government.  The fire fee on vacant lots of land was the beginning of government take over of all farm land.  The large fee on mobile homes will lead to small renters losing their businesses.  The water company in Six Mile has just sent out a notice to property owners that if they rent their properties out they will have to be responsible for collecting water bills from the renter.  The school district has just notified the public that they have over-collected upwards of $770,000 because of "growth of the tax base" and they are trying to figure out how to spend the money which legally belongs to the tax payers and by law. 12-43-285; which states must be returned to the tax payers.  This would mean that the millage rate was set too high in the first place or % collectability was wrongly anticipated or both.  So I ask you which one of these are your problem.  

Please come to the County Council  Meeting on November 16 and help us tell the County Council we want them to do something about all these problems.

Junius Smith

President Conservatives of the Upstate