"Although legal counsel has informed Mr. Taylor that he does not owe any additional taxes to Jackson County, Mr. Taylor has paid, under protest, $3,800 to Jackson County pending a hearing before the Jackson County tax appeals board," said the congressman's spokesman, Roger France. "Mr. Taylor is fully confident that this payment of taxes, which were accessed without the benefit of a hearing, will be returned once the appeal process moves beyond the control of the Democrat Party-dominated Jackson County board."
"Everyone, to a certain degree, pays their taxes under protest," Buchanan responded.
In what is believed to be the first-ever attempt to collect back taxes from a congressman's salary, Jackson County's tax collector sent her garnishment request to the U.S. House of Representatives May 1.
Buchanan calculated Taylor's debt by totaling the taxes due and interest on his six parcels from 1996-1998. The land, which had been assessed under forestry land-use values for several years, no longer qualifies for the tax break since Taylor has not filed a management plan on the property, according to tax assessor Cecil Dills.
Taylor, who is said to be one of Congress's wealthiest members, with a net worth of at least $11.4 million, according to his financial disclosure statements, denies that he must file a management plan and claims he owns Jackson County nothing. Through his attorney, Bob Long in Asheville, Taylor has requested a hearing before the county's Board of Equalization and Review to contest the county's contention that he no longer qualifies for forest management land use deferments.
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