Accounting and Finance

303 West Church Street
(910) 291-1799

The Finance Department provides services to the Laurinburg Community, which includes approximately 16,000 residents. Finance is responsible for Payroll, Purchasing, Budget, Accounting and City Taxes as well as Utility Billing for the entire Scotland County water area. Our offices are located at City Hall on 303 W. Church Street. Our mission is to provide accounting, financial operations and reporting services to City Departments, citizens and other users of the City’s financial information. Finance manages, directs and safeguards the assets in an efficient, effective and appropriate manner. Finance offers the following services within the requirements of North Carolina laws and other local, state and federal regulations:

Provides prudent fiscal management for the City;
Oversees and supports annual external audit of City finances;
Assures effective management of the City’s financial assets;
Certifies vendors to do business with the City through vendor application forms and W-9 forms;
Manages purchasing functions, including overseeing requirements for bids or requests for proposals;
Processes payroll for City employees;
Manages accounts payable and receivable.

Links

Contacts

Finance Director – Carrie H. Neal Contact for fiscal management of the City(Budget, Finance)	Carrie H. Neal	(910) 291-1799
Accounting Ann Shampy Contact for vendor information or vendor payments	Ann Shampy	(910) 291-1743
Payroll Ann Shampy Contact for payroll or paycheck deductions, employee withholdings	Ann Shampy	(910) 291-1743
Taxes Diana Chavis Contact for City tax questions or see Tax Collector	Diana Chavis	(910) 291-1735
Customer Services/Consumer Billing Barbara Haywood Contact for utility billing for City of Laurinburg utility customers and Scotland County water customers or see Customer Services	Barbara Haywood	(910) 276-1521

Audits

Budgets

Customer Services

303 West Church Street
910-276-1521 (o)
910-277-3648 (f)

The Customer Services/Consumer Billing Department collects all revenues for the City of Laurinburg. Payments can be made by cash, check or all major credit cards. Our office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

We also have other services to offer such as bank drafts, equal payment plan, load management credits, electrical off-peak saving rates, rebates on electric water heaters and/or electric heat pumps, and tips on how to conserve electricity or water. You may call our office at the above number to see if you are eligible for any of these services or to receive information on conservation.

Payment Methods

Mail payment to: The City of Laurinburg, P.O. Box 249, Laurinburg, NC 23853.
Payment may be made in person at the City of Laurinburg Municipal Building located at 303 West Church Street.
Payment may be placed in the night depository box located past the drive-thru window of the Municipal Building. Payments dropped off after 8:00 a.m. will be processed the next working day.
Payment may be made by utilizing the City of Laurinburg Pre-Authorized Bank Draft Plan.
Utility payments only may be made on-line.

Applications for new services can be completed by visiting our Customer Services Department during normal working hours. No orders for new service will be completed during the holidays.

In order to establish new service, you will need the following information:

Driver’s License (or other identification)
Social Security number
Physical Address of the home or business
Billing address of the home or business (if different from physical address)
Telephone number for the home or business
Rent receipt or copy of lease (renters only)
Landlord’s name, address and telephone number
Deposit (see Fee Schedule)
A letter of 12 months of excellent credit from past utility company to waive deposit (homeowners only)
Information about the nature of the business for license (businesses only)
Zoning Permits (if required)

Most charges are listed in our Fee Schedule. This includes water, sewer, and garbage rates, tap fees, deposits and more. To obtain our current electric rates, please come by our office.

If you have any questions, please email Barbara Haywood, Customer Service Manager, or call her at (910) 276-1521.

WARM Program

Winter Assistance for Residential eMergency Fund

The City of Laurinburg realizes that tragedy can strike at anytime. Whether it is a personal or family crisis, City residents can suddenly find themselves with unpaid bills and at the risk of losing their utility service(s) among other things. To help City residents through those times, the City has created a new program, WARM (Winter Assistance for Residential eMergency fund), to provide emergency assistance to those in need. Because emergencies happen unexpectedly and suddenly, this program gives neighbors the chance to help fellow neighbors through donations. All donations made to the program are collected by the City of Laurinburg and turned over to Church Community Services for distribution.

Church Community Services is a local, non-profit community-assistance agency that has partnered with the City to determine if a customer is eligible for this once a year emergency funding.

Donations can be made in three ways:

A monthly contribution added to your utility bill. This can be done by rounding up your utility payment to the next dollar. Example: Your utility bill is $85.25, we would round up your bill to $86.00 and $ .75¢ would be your contribution for that month. Or you could contribute the same amount of money every month. Example: The City could add $5.00 monthly on your utility bill and the $5.00 additional on your bill will be put in a fund to be contributed for this WARM program.
A one-time contribution to the City of Laurinburg in any amount.
You could contribute directly to the Church Community Services.

If you would like to contribute to the WARM program and help your neighbors in need, please fill out the enrollment form and return to Customer Services, or you can pick one up at City Hall, or an enrollment form can be mailed to you upon request by calling (910) 276-1521.

If you are a City of Laurinburg utility customer who is experiencing a financial emergency and is in need of assistance during the winter months, please call Church Community Services at (910) 276-8330. A customer can receive help once in a one-year period. This program was created specifically for those customers experiencing a temporary financial hardship as a result of an emergency, not for customers with chronic or long-term financial needs.

For more information about the WARM program, call the City of Laurinburg Customer Service Department at (910) 276-1521.

The City of Laurinburg would like to thank you for any contributions in advance and for your continued support and commitment to improving our community.

Taxation

Diana Chavis, Tax Collector
303 West Church Street
910-291-1735

Property Taxes

Sometimes referred to as Ad Valorem Tax, property tax is assessed annually against the value of real and personal property including homes, vehicles, commercial buildings and vacant land. It is usually expressed in terms of cents per $100 of property value. The current tax rate for the City of Laurinburg is $.40 per $100 valuation.

Due Dates

Tax bills are mailed in July for the fiscal year beginning July 1st through June 30th. Taxes are billed for the fiscal year, not the calendar year.
There is a 1% discount when paid by August 31st.
Taxes are due and payable by September 1st.
Taxes are payable without interest through January 5th.
An interest charge of 2% is assessed on delinquent property tax bills on January 6th.
An interest charge of three-fourths of one-percent (3/4%) is assessed on February 1st and each month thereafter until the taxes are paid in full.
Delinquent notices are mailed in January and February.
Delinquent taxpayers are advertised in The Laurinburg Exchange in March.
All tax listing is done by the Scotland County Tax Department (919-277-2566) in January. No listing is required at the City offices. It is necessary to list personal property such as boats, boat motors, business equipment and supplies, farm equipment, airplanes, mobile homes, non-tagged motor vehicles, and anything other than tagged motor vehicles.
If you are a N.C. resident who is 65 years of age or older or are permanently and totally disabled, and your income is no more than $25,600 per year, you may be eligible for the Homestead Exemption. If you think you may qualify, apply at the Scotland County Tax Department between January 1st and April 15th.
The Disable Veteran’s Exemption excludes the first $45,000 of the appraised value of a permanent residence owned and occupied by a North Carolina Resident, who was Discharged Honorably or under Honorably Conditions, or a surviving spouse, who has not remarried, of a 100% Disabled Veteran Discharged Honorably or under Honorably Conditions

Special Assessments

The Office of the Tax Collector is responsible for collecting approved Special Assessments for the City of Laurinburg. Special Assessments, also known as Street Assessments, are those in which there has been a contract made between the property owner and the City of Laurinburg for improvements to certain properties such as street (curb and gutter), street lighting, lot cuttings, and/or water and sewer. Until a Special Assessment is paid-in-full, it is considered a lien on the property within the same meaning as a property tax lien.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I pay my taxes?
There are three ways to pay your real estate and personal property taxes. (Motor Vehicle taxes must be paid at the Scotland County Tax Department.)

By Mail:
Mail both the tax payment stub and the check or money order to: City of Laurinburg Tax Collector, P.O. Box 249, Laurinburg, NC 28353 (*Note: To send overnight delivery, please mail to: 303 W. Church Street, Laurinburg, NC 28352).
In Person:
At City Hall located at 303 W. Church Street, Monday-Friday between 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (Cash, check and credit cards accepted).

What do property taxes pay for?
State law authorizes units of local government (cities, towns and counties) to assess and collect property taxes as a source of funding to pay for public services such as fire and police protection, libraries, recreational facilities and transportation facilities and services. Your taxes also pay for services to help protect children and senior citizens from abuse and neglect, protect our water and air from pollution, repair and build roads and much more. Property taxes are the largest source of revenue to fund these services.

What property is taxed?
Property taxes are levied on real property (land and buildings), motor vehicles, boats, trailers and income-producing personal property. If you live within the City of Laurinburg, you must pay taxes to the City as well as to Scotland County.

How do I change my address on my tax bill?
To change your mailing address for real estate tax bills, please contact the City of Laurinburg at 910-291-1735 or write to us at: City of Laurinburg, P.O. Box 249, Laurinburg, NC 28353.

Should you have questions regarding any of the above information, please contact Diana Chavis, Tax Collector, City of Laurinburg Tax Department, at 910-291-1735.