Folks, this is NOT about the 2021 property re-evaluation that is presently going on where almost everybody is being screwed with an average of a 35% increase. The county’s inflated assessments won’t actually become tax bills until sometime later. But I would advise you pay close attention to this article to see how the screws could be put to you if you or your wife complain about wasted tax dollars to suit the Cleveland County Commissioners, County Manager Brian Epley or former County Commissioner Jason Falls’ wife.
This particular article is about the other end of the tax spectrum, tax billing and enforced tax collection from the 2019 property tax year bill that just became due September 1, 2020 and began collecting interest Wednesday, January 6, 2021. This is what began to happen at 8:01 AM January 7th, 2021 when 7,770 properties whose taxes had not yet been paid. Properties that included the Cleveland country Club for around $11,000, Earl Owensby’s properties totaling around $150,000 (some of which was delinquent for 10 years) and one of Mr. Willie Green’s properties (on the corner of Main Street and East Dixon Boulevard) that had just become delinquent by one minute for around $4,100, and 7,767 other properties that were in various stages of delinquency.
Guess who Cleveland County decided to take “last-resort” tax collection enforcement on??? Mr. Willie Green. The first one, and the only one so far as I know, out of those 7,770 delinquencies. Mr. Willie Green. A former NFL player with two Superbowl Rings. Or should I say a “black” former NFL player with two Superbowl rings, who has been discriminated against and retaliated against numerous time on numerous occasions by both Cleveland County and the City of Shelby for daring to try to do business in Shelby and Cleveland County-just like any of the other “white” business men. Just like those other times and occasions when Mr. Willie Green was singled out for discrimination and retaliation, “I smelled a rat” this time too.
Let’s look at the facts here:
Editor’s Note: Since I have already published numerous articles regarding Mr. Green’s mistreatment and the various lawsuits that have come about as a result, I am only going to hit the highest of the high spots, otherwise this article could be 100 pages long! Most of you have already read my previous articles about this matter. This article focuses on a new low for the foul and likely illegal efforts of the City of Shelby and the Cleveland County Commissioners to racially discriminate and retaliate against Mr. Willie Green for his efforts as the FIRST and ONLY black man in Cleveland County to try to do business in the County on an equal basis with all the other local white businessmen!
Facts:
Over the past five years, the City of Shelby has denied only two zoning change requests. One presented by Mr. Scottie Webber and the latest presented by Mr. Willie Green. Both these men are black, Mr. Green’s Zoning Change Request was in regard to his planned housing development located at the intersection of Main Street and East Dixon Boulevard in Shelby, NC. Of particular interest is the Shelby City Council. Instead of making a motion to approve the zoning change request as happens every single time and then voting against the motion–this time the motion was made to disapprove Mr. Greens request and then vote FOR the motion to disapprove. A small but telling deviation from normal practice at Shelby City Council meetings. A deviation obviously reserved for racial discrimination and retaliation.
Mr. Green’s “Sports Complex” proposal that was designed to meet the specifications of a “private-public partnership” for a sports complex EXACTLY as it was spelled out in the Shelby 10-Year Master Plan. Even though NO “white” businessman has ever made such a proposal, Mr. Green proposal was denied by both the City of Shelby as well as the Cleveland County Commissioners. As such things always happen in Shelby and Cleveland County, leaders spread rumors that Willie Green is a Muslim, was “demonic” and wanted to bring a “million” niggers to Cleveland County in a “whispering campaign” to justify their denial of Mr. Green’s proposals. Even though a very sharp upsurge of teen violence in Shelby indicated that teens, especially black male teens, with something to do were less likely to commit crimes of violence. Murder even!