Among political candidates and elected officials in Leflore County, K.K. Henderson Kent’s six-digit unpaid tax bill towers over the rest of the field.
Including unpaid taxes, fees, interest and penalties, Kent — who is campaigning for District 5 supervisor — owes a total of $101,222.61, more than seven times as much as all other candidates and elected officials combined.
Altogether, five office holders and five more candidates in Leflore County are behind on their property taxes.
Excluding Kent’s tax bill, the nine other delinquent politicians owe a total of $13,230.33 in property taxes from 2014, which became delinquent Feb. 1.
Kent, a Leflore County businesswoman seeking to unseat incumbent Robert Collins in a three-way race, said her back taxes on 27 parcels of property in the county were “being taken care of.”
Contributing to the stiff bill is the fact that most of those properties have gone into tax sales for unpaid taxes from past years, which adds penalties, fees and 18 percent annual interest to the amount owed, which must be paid off within two years to hold onto the title to the property.
Kent said she planned to pay off everything she owed and hold onto the properties, though she declined to answer further questions about her unpaid bills to local government.
“Well, the taxes in this county...” Kent said, before cutting herself off. “You know what? I’m just going to say they’re being taken care of. That’s how I’m going to leave it.”
Delinquent taxpayers are charged a monthly 1 percent penalty that haven’t been paid by Feb. 1. Those that remain unpaid by the last Monday in August are auctioned off in the tax sale, triggering higher interest rates, Chancery Court fees and additional penalties.
Leflore County Tax Assessor Leroy Ware, who paid his property taxes before the Feb. 1 deadline, said that about 25 or 30 percent of Leflore County residents make payments on their taxes but don’t pay off the full balance until August.
After Kent, the next-highest bill belongs to T.W. Cooper, a retired fireman and former county emergency management director who’s running for District 4 supervisor. Cooper owes $2,772.56 in unpaid property taxes on three properties.
Cooper said last week that his finances have been stretched while he puts money into running his campaign against incumbent District 4 Supervisor Wayne Self. He said he planned to pay off the taxes before August.
“This is the only year that it’s been late, and a lot has to do with the fact that I don’t have the income that I had when I was working,” Cooper said.
Both of Cooper’s opponents in the election — Self and Itta Bena businessman Eric Mitchell — also have outstanding bills. Mitchell owes $1,819.86 on two parcels of property but could not be reached for comment.
Self said last Thursday that he’d paid off his outstanding property tax bill of $124.54. According to records at the Leflore County Tax Assessor’s Office, that balance remained unpaid this morning. Self said he thought the discrepancy might be a record-keeping issue.
“I’m going to run by, get my receipts and go over there now,” Self said this morning.
District 2 Supervisor Robert Moore said he will be covering the $1,936.44 he still owes in property taxes he owes on five parcels before August. “My property is not going to go into tax sale,” Moore said. “I’m going to pay my taxes.”
Two Greenwood city councilmen have outstanding property taxes. Ward 7’s Carl Palmer owes $1,422.54 and Ward 5’s Andrew Powell owes $1,431.89. Ward 1’s Johnny Jennings paid off his remaining property taxes this morning.
Powell and Palmer could not be reached for comment.
Greenwood businessman Larry “Blue” Neal, a former Justice Court judge who is running to regain his former seat against incumbent Judge Carlos Palmer, owes $2,223.10 on five properties. Johnny Lee Gary Jr., a Greenwood minister running for Leflore County chancery clerk, owes $125.27 in unpaid property taxes.
Neither Gary nor Neal could be reached for comment.
• Contact Bryn Stole at 581-7235 or bstole@gwcommonwealth.com.
