McALESTER — Pittsburg County Commissioners met Wednesday in a closed executive session meeting and rejected a settlement offer from Kiowa Power Partners. More than a half-million county tax dollars have been spent and millions more are held in an escrow account while the lawsuit involving Kiowa Power Partners LLC vs. Jim Kelley, Pittsburg County Assessor and the Pittsburg County Board Equalization waits to be played out in court on Monday.
According to District 2 Commissioner Kevin Smith it’s up to the county’s attorneys to make a counter offer.
“We rejected their offer,” said Pittsburg County Commission Chairman Gene Rogers.
Rogers said most utility companies oppose the assessed tax rates. “They always protest (the tax rates)” he said. “Its just normal for this kind of negotiation.” Rogers said. “They protested the taxes we assessed.”
Regarding the growing cost of the ongoing lawsuit Rogers said “It will be worth it all if they just give us what the property is worth,” said Rogers.
The suit was filed 2009 after a five-year manufactures exemption granted by the Ad Valorem Division of the Oklahoma Tax Commission expired in 2008 and has cost the county more than $616,338,000 in attorney’s fees.
Sitting in the negotiations were Pittsburg County Commissioners Rogers, Kevin Smith, Ronnie Young; James Shropshire and Sherman Stockton of the Pittsburg County Board of Equalization; Former Pittsburg County Assessor Jim Kelley, current assessor Cathy Haynes and District 18 Assistant District Attorney Richard Hull.
The commissioners voted unanimously to reject the offer. The amount of the offer was not disclosed in the public session.
For more on this story, see the print or electronic editions of the McAlester News-Capital. Click here for print edition home delivery or click here to see the Smart Edition for your computer, tablet, e-reader or smart phone.
Obama Pledges Urgent Aid for Tornado Victims
Raw: Aerials Show Path of Oklahoma Destruction
Raw: Widespread Destruction in Moore, Okla.
Raw: Massive Funnel Clouds in Oklahoma
Raw: Japan's WWII Atrocities Under Fire in Seoul
Voters Could Elect LA's First Female Mayor
Raw: Rescuers Pull Tornado Survivors to Safety
Oklahoma Gov: 'Hearts Are Broken' After Tornado
Raw: Walking in a Flattened Okla. Neighborhood
Raw: Rescue Workers Search Oklahoma School
Raw: Witness Describes Scene After Okla. Tornado
Raw: Aftermath of Massive Tornado in Oklahoma
Raw: House Burns After Massive Oklahoma Tornado
Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma
Split-second Choice Ended With NY Student Dead
White House Backs 'Shield Law' for Media
Wave of Attacks Kills Scores in Iraq
Pug Life on Display at Wisconsin Festival
Company Promises to Make All Snail Mail Digital
Analyst: Tumblr Fills Void in Yahoo's Offerings
RAW: Massive tornado strikes Oklahoma
Okla. tornado survivor finds dog buried alive under rubble
Pickler's Dance Moves Cause A Stir
Obama to tornado survivors: The country stands beside you
Reporter Cries Over Devastation
Sneak Peek: 'Modern Family' Says Good Bye
Trailer: 'The Last Stand' Available on Blu-ray Disc, DVD, Digital Download
IWitness Look at Moore, OK Tornado
RAW: Moore, OK tornado touches down near school
Robert Pattinson Moves Out
RAW: Russian dash cam catches car 20 feet in the air
Oklahoma tornado survivor: "Everything is gone"
Khloe Lashes Out at Kim Kardashian's Critics
Couple Argues As Woman's Lover Crawls Out Window
RAW: Brad Paisley Forgets Lyrics To His Own Song
Justin Bieber Gets Booed
RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado
New 'Anchorman 2' Trailer, Drake Joins List of Rumored Cameos
Eva Longoria's Wardrobe Malfunction
Heat Star Dwyane Wade Surprises Coral Gables Teen At Prom
