CHARLESTON - With little business on the agenda to cover, most of the Mississippi County commission meeting Monday consisted of W.R. "Bill" Thompson, Mississippi County assessor, pitching the Occupancy Law to commissioners.
This week and next week's county commission meetings were moved to the preceding Mondays instead of their usual Thursdays due to the holidays.
Thompson first presented a report on his office dated Dec. 10 from the State Tax Commission which states that "he and his staff are doing a good job with collecting the building permits for the cities of Charleston and East Prairie and working them" as well as "reviewing the rural areas of the county looking for new construction."
In the report's conclusion, the STC advises the assessor could improve his assessment of rural areas by carrying rural maps, which have not been available to Thompson since he has been in office; using a wall map to shade in reviewed areas; and by the passage of the County Occupancy Law for the next fiscal year.
Thompson again requested commissioners pass an ordinance putting the County Occupancy Law into effect in the county and presented another letter dated Nov. 28 from the STC advising "no statutory authority exists" for making an adjustment before the next Jan. 1 for property reduced in value because of a disaster other than the Occupancy Law.
"I think if you lose your house Jan. 2, you should have it taken off the books," Thompson said.
The Occupancy Law, which places new construction property on the books or reduces its value due to a disaster on the first day of the following month instead of the usually Jan. 1 date, only applies to residential structures, however.
Thompson finished by saying that he is proud of his staff's work and believes them to be doing an outstanding job. "And I'm assuming the state does, too, since they issued the report," he added.
"We'll act on it next Monday," said Jim Blumenberg, presiding commissioner, of the Occupancy Law. "We'll vote Monday."
The courthouse will be closed today and Wednesday for Christmas.