Tax talk heats up; commissioner promoting hike pegged as delinquent with his own

Mount Olive District 2 Commissioner Delreese Simmons, who advocated for a raise in town property taxes, owes slightly more than $3,476 in delinquent town and Wayne County property taxes dating back to 2018.

When confronted with the issue by District 4 Commissioner Tommy Brown during the town board’s Tuesday, June 13 session, Simmons unleashed a barrage of allegations against Brown and his wife.

Simmons offered no supporting evidence to back his allegations, while Brown produced copies of Wayne County Tax Department records detailing the delinquent taxes owed by Simmons.

It wasn’t the only heated exchange of the night.

Just prior to the exchange between Simmons and Brown, District 1 Commissioner Vicky Darden’s comments prompted a backlash from Simmons as well.

Both confrontations came as commissioners delivered their closing comments prior to the end of the session.

The meeting spiraled out of control even as Mayor Kenny Talton pounded his desktop with his gavel trying to calm the ruckus.

According to Wayne County Tax Department records, as of Wednesday, June 14, Simmons owed $3,476 in delinquent town and county property taxes.

The amount changes monthly as interest accrues on the unpaid balance.And for at least the past nine months, the county has been garnishing the $275 monthly salary Simmons receives from the town for serving as a commissioner.

The county can levy a garnishment of no more than 10 percent on a person’s wages to recover delinquent taxes, Wayne County Tax Collector Alan Lumpkin told the Tribune.

According to town records, Simmons’ $275 monthly town salary is being garnished by 10 percent, or $27.50 per month.

Brown did not directly mention the monthly garnishment during the meeting, but appeared to reference it when he saidthe town is paying Simmons’ property taxes.

Simmons denied that was the case.

Brown brought up Simmons’ delinquent taxes as the board session was winding down and after commissioners had approved a new budget with no tax hike or employee salary increases. The vote was 4-1.

Simmons, who had championed a tax increase of up to 7 cents, voted no.

During this end-of-session comments,Simmons paraphrased the Bible saying to pay to the emperor what belongs to the emperor and to God what belongs to God.

“Taxes, even Jesus paid taxes,” he said.

Taxes take care of the police, roads, infrastructure, everything people need, he added.

“It’s our obligation to pay taxes,” Simmons said. “I didn’t want to pay taxes. I felt like they weren’t doing anything with taxes on our side of town. Everybody knows that — I ain’t going to pay any taxes. Forget taxes. That is how I felt about it. But now I see what taxes does. It takes care of the town.”

Just minutes later, Brown said in his closing comments that, “We have a current sitting commissioner, they have not paid their property tax since 2018 and it is to the tune of about $2,700.”

He did not name the commissioner, however, Simmons interrupted Brown and began talking over him, making allegations against Brown’s wife.

Simmons did not elaborate or offer any supporting evidence.

“Don’t bring stuff up you don’t want,” Simmons started.

“I have copies of the delinquent tax bills right there,” Brown continued.

Simmons said he had money as he continued to make personal attacks on Brown and his wife — again without providing any specifics or evidence to back up his assertions.

Following continued efforts to regain control of the meeting, Talton asked Town Attorney Carroll Turner about options to halt the conversation.

“Mayor, I think you ought to, you asked my opinion, you should rule Commissioner Simmons out of order,” Turner said. “He has repeatedly interrupted the last two commissioners giving their reports. He should not have done that and, likewise, if another commissioner interrupts him they should be called out of order.

“We have a rule of decorum attached here to every agenda and I think it has been pretty well violated from A to Z tonight.”

Simmons said people know that has happened to him, too.

“Has anybody said anything about it,” he said. “Not once.”He argued that Darden had done so earlier in the meeting.

Talton responded that he did not see it that way since Darden was making her closing comments.

“If she was speaking out of turn, I was not aware of it,” he said.

However, Talton did not rule Simmons out of order and Talton, minutes later, adjourned the meeting.

The stage for the confrontation appeared to have been set minutes earlier as Darden made her closing remarks.

“If I touch some toes it will be fine, but I am sick and tired of people running talking about commissioners don’t want the workers to have a raise,” Darden said. “I get tired of that. Every time I see one of the guys at work that is what they say, that we don’t want them to have a raise.

“So I am glad they showed up, and it don’t make sense for people to run around here, think they are doing this, that and the other. I get tired. I know some of the other people get tired of stupidness, that’s what I call it.”

It doesn’t make sense — they get on Facebook making post after post talking about (former commissioner) Harlie (Carmichael) and Brown, Darden continued.

“When are we going to grow up,” she asked.

Darden did not mention any names, but Simmons spoke up interrupting her comments.

“I talked about Tommy because of what Tommy done when he was a cop,” he said. “If you want to know that I will tell everybody what he done.”

Talton banged his gavel asking that commissioners be allowed to finish up, but failed to restore order.

“Then put it on out there then,” Darden said to Simmons.

Simmons did not respond other than to say he was the first to be straight up as Talton continued to bang the gavel asking for order.

It is letting the people know the truth, Simmons continued.

“The truth, you are telling a lie,” Darden countered.

“You telling a lie,” Simmons said. “He know what he did. He know what he did. It‘s still on a camera at my damn house what he did. He know what he did.”

Brown finally responded by saying that what he did was not wrong because he was enforcing the law.

Simmons responded by calling Brown a liar.

“What you said is a lie,” Simmons continued

“What lie did I tell,” Brown asked Simmons, who merely snorted.

Again, Talton unsuccessfully attempted to restore order.

“Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen. Please, please, please,” Talton implored as he continued to bang his gavel.

“Vicky don’t know everything. You stood in my yard, in my yard, telling me if I didn’t shut the **** up you were going to arrest me in my yard,” Simmons said.

Brown said they were in the street, not Simmons’ yard. Simmons disagreed saying he had video footage he would release.

“I know a lot of dirt on you,” Simmons said, again without providing any specifics. “I know a lot of dirt on you. Don’t get me to release it.”

Talton was finally able to regain control by asking Darden if she had anything else to say.

She said she did not and Talton adjourned the meeting