[7/22/03]Calsonic Kansei Mississippi applied for a 10-year exemption from paying county taxes on its real and personal property Monday, a step toward saving the new Warren County industry about $580,000 during the coming decade.

The Warren County Board of Supervisors will make the decision on whether to grant the tax waiver to the company, one of two tier-one suppliers to the Nissan plant near Canton that began operating this year.

In another tax-related matter, supervisors set the two-week period of July 28 to Aug. 8 for individuals and businesses to check tax rolls for 2004 to prepare any objections to values set. Supervisors will start hearing objections Aug. 11.

To protest, a landowner must write a letter to Chancery Clerk Dot McGee asking for an appointment. Those who want to formally protest the assessments to the board of supervisors will be assigned a time to appear before the board.

Tax exemptions for larger employers were begun as inducements to attract companies to Mississippi.

Tax Assessor Richard Holland is seeking an exemption from paying county taxes on $7,227,563 in real property and on $3,375,221 in personal property for its building at Ceres Industrial Interplex. He also told the board his office had inspected Calsonic’s property and found the property and request in order.

Exemptions are routinely granted, and supervisors voted to accept the application and forward it to the Mississippi Tax Commission, which must approve it before it can go into effect.

Based on today’s tax rates and valuations, the exemption will save Calsonic $57,799 a year. Without the exemption, the company would pay about $137,459 in local county taxes, school taxes and state taxes. With the exemption, its bill would be about $84,660 for school and state taxes, for which exemption is not allowed.

Bob Croisdale, Calsonic general manager, said his company had 117 people at work as of Monday and would have 160 on the job by the end of the month. The company makes exhaust systems, manifolds and converters. When the Nissan plant and Calsonic reaches full production in 2004, the local operation should employ about 240 people.

In other action, the board:

Voted to add all of Lake Forest Drive, except that portion running across a lake dam, and part of Fairways to an overlaying project. County Engineer John McKee said the work on the 11 roads originally included in the project did require all of the $775,095 specified in the contract with APAC and the two additional streets can be included at no additional cost.

Took under advisement a request from Ray Smith for a declaration of resort status for the old Shell Beach property on Eagle pending more information. Smith told the board he plans to operate a restaurant and convenience store. Resort status removes some of the state time and day restrictions on sales of liquor-containing beverages.

Adjourned until 9 a.m. Aug. 4.