DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE UP TO $100 WORTH OF SAVINGS INSIDE?
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PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID BLUFFTON, SC PERMIT NO. 37
POSTAL CUSTOMER
JULY 7 - 13, 2016
WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
SLIDE SHOW Boats are just one of the types of personal property that are taxable in Beaufort County. Photo by Bob Sofaly.
County cracking down on taxes By Kat Walsh
Daania Jones, 7, a student at Bridges Charter School, holds her nose as she exits the new waterslide and splashes into the pool last week at the Lind Brown Community Complex on Green Street. The new slide has two tunnels, cutting the waiting time in half, which is good news considering that temperatures will be in the high 90s in the coming week. Photo by Bob Sofaly.
Be ‘gator-safe’ around water After a little boy was killed by an alligator at Disney World, the animal also had to be killed. Additionally, when the boy’s dad tried to save the child, another alligator attacked. It was also killed. Here is the Lowcountry, alligators who get too aggressive with humans are also put down. They can’t be relocated because gators are very territorial and tend to return to their original capture sites. Nearly any water body in the coastal plain of South Carolina may contain alligators, and the mere presence of alligators in or adjacent to their natural habitat in South
Carolina is a normal occurrence and not normally an emergency requiring the animal’s removal, according to biologists with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. The DNR also says that alligators less than 4 feet are typically not large enough to be dangerous to people unless handled, and offers these tips to stay “alligator-safe”: • Never approach an alligator of any size, keep your distance and leave them alone. • Never feed alligators. Not only is it illegal in South Carolina to feed alligators, it also teaches See GATOR, page A7
EYES WIDE OPEN Don’t overlook your eyes: They also need protection from the sun's damaging rays.
COMING HOME
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See TAXES, page A7
A popular journalist returns to her Lowcountry roots at WSAV-TV. PAGE B1
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Do you have personal property that is subject to taxes? If so, the tax man cometh. Beaufort County is cracking down on making sure taxpayers are shelling out their fair share on items such as wave runners and jet skis, motorcycle and airplanes. The county will also be reviewing assessments for motor vehicles, boats and motors registered with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and vessels registered with the U.S. Coast Guard and residential rentals. The Beaufort County Auditor’s Office recently announced that its Fair Share Program will increase the identification of taxable personal property. This follows a review of taxable personal property the office began last September to ensure that records are up to date and complete. “As the county’s population increases and the natural growth in the property tax base occurs, the Fair Share Program will be instrumental in keeping taxes as low as possible for everyone,” the auditor’s office said in a recent press release. Recent efforts at upgrading the process and reporting of personal property have yielded tangible results. Improvements in listing taxable property added over $27 million in taxable property to the tax rolls, creating new tax accounts that paid over $345,000 in personal property taxes this year. Additionally, changes made to the motor vehicle process has improved reporting and allows more time for taxpayers to pay their renewal tax bill. The auditor’s website outlines the classes of taxable property with reporting requirements. Here’s the formula for figuring out how taxes on personal property are determined: • Fair market value: The fair market value is the amount that your
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