Mary Lou Powell
PO Box 157
Raleigh, MS 39153
Phone: 601-782-9803
Fax: 601-782-4006
Tax Assessor Duties and Responsibilities
The Tax Assessor is required to annually locate, class, and assess all taxable property within the County, and is responsible for setting fair, uniform, and accurate values for each parcel of real and personal property. The Tax Assessor is also charged by the Board of Supervisors to maintain current ownership maps of the county. In addition to these appraisal duties, we work daily with local and national agencies to promote the economic well-being of the County and its citizens.
The Assessor lists and places a value on all real estate within the county and also on personal property (which includes such things as machinery, office equipment, and similar items). Maps, records, and other documents are kept to help establish the value of such property. The Assessor presents these tax rolls to the Board of Supervisors for approval. He or she also helps homeowners file for homestead exemption, which allows some of the homeowner’s property to be exempt from property (ad valorem) taxes.
Tax Collector Duties and Responsibilities
The office of the Tax Collector is established by Article 5, Section 135 of the Mississippi Constitution. This position is elected for a four-year term by the county at large. The Tax Collector is responsible for the collection of taxes on real property, personal property, manufactured homes, automobiles, motorcycles, motor homes, trailers, and airplanes. Use tax is collected on items brought to the State of Mississippi by residents for first use, storage, or consumption. Sales Tax is collected on casual sales of motor vehicles between individuals.
Statute allows the payment of real property taxes in installments as long as the first payment is at least one-half of the taxes due and is made by February 1st following the tax year for which payment is collected. Installment payments are subject to 1% per month interest on the unpaid balance for the second and third payments.
The Tax Collector must advertise and hold a tax sale once a year for any unpaid taxes on real estate or any special assessments. Accurate records must be kept at all times since this office is involved in the collection of taxes that help fund a variety of government services.