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Century Courthouse To Close; Tax Collector, Court Services Gone By June 1
May 9, 2009
The Escambia County Tax Collector and Escambia County Clerk of the Court are pulling out of the Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century by the end of May. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Department will remain in the building.
“Usage of the office in Century has dropped off to the point it needs to be merged with Cantonment,” Escambia County Tax Collector Janet Holley said. “The public wants us to reduce spending, and this will save us $200,000 a year.” The money savings, mostly in salaries, will come from retiring employees and no layoffs, she said.
Holley said that her Century office, which is currently open just three days per week, sometimes sees less than 10 people per day. She said that her office sees more Century area residents in Cantonment than in Century. When we spoke to her late Friday afternoon, Holley told NorthEscambia.com that she will provide us with the numbers and documentation on Monday.
NorthEscambia.com left messages for Clerk of the Court Ernie Lee Magaha multiple times during the past week, and he has refused to return our phone calls.
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan told NorthEscambia.com Friday afternoon that his Century precinct will remain open.
“We have never even discussed closing the Century office,” Morgan said. “We’ve never even brought it up. We plan to stay in Century.”
In addition, Morgan said he still plans to add two to three deputies to the Century precinct, and he plans to reopen the Walnut Hill office for two or three days per week.
“I’m highly disappointed,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said. “This is not fair. This is not right. We pay our taxes like everyone else.”
McCall said the closure will be especially hard on the poor in his community because many do not have transportation go get to court in Pensacola.
“It’s a tough budget cycle,” Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Kevin White said. “We can ask them to hold off on the closures while we look at funds to see if there is way to keep it open.” But White said the commission could not force Magaha or Holley to keep their offices open because they are constitutional officers not controlled by the commission.
The nearest tax collector office to Century will be in Cantonment, 28 miles to the south of the Billy G. Ward Courthouse. The nearest physical location to access court services, including paying a traffic ticket in person, will be 45 miles away in downtown Pensacola. Both agencies do offer many services online.
The following information released Friday afternoon from Escambia County details what the county calls a “redirection” of services:
Tax Collector Services
- Effective May 29, services at the Century branch of the Escambia County Tax Collector’s office will be redirected to the Cantonment branch, 470 South Highway 29. The Cantonment office offers all tax collector services including driver’s licenses by appointment.
- Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and until 6 p.m. on Wednesdays. Call 438-6500 ext. 252 for information and to schedule an appointment for a driver’s license.
- For more information including how to make payments online, visit the Tax Collector’s website, www.escambiataxcollector.com.
Clerk of the Circuit Court
- Tuesday, May 26 will be the final day of court in the Century office.
- Court appearances after May 26 will be at the M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building, 190 Governmental Center.
- The Clerk and the County have worked together with the Judiciary on this redirection.
- Payments for traffic fines and citations will be accepted at the Century office through May 29.
- Payments at the M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building are accepted Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as online.
- For more information visit the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s website at www.clerk.co.escambia.fl.us.
Comments
28 Responses to “Century Courthouse To Close; Tax Collector, Court Services Gone By June 1”
Closing the tag office and court house in Century is another step toward Pensacola stealing part of the north end of the county. The push is on again to put Century and the north end under Pensacola rule. The people voted to leave the north end like it is time and time again. But now Pensacola is trying again to incorparate all of the county into the city. They want us in the city limits so we will have to pay more taxes. They want to get city taxes on every thing now that is bought outside of the city limits . If all of the county becomes one city will we be the city of Pensacola or the county of Pensacola? Pensacola wants to controll all the county offices all of our water, gas ,eletric, waste, garbage,fire stations, schools, and every thing else. Just leave it the way the people voted last time and last time.
This is a shame. I moved to Century 2 years ago and enjoyed the fact that the town had a health dept, drivers license office and tax collector within a very close distance.
Let’s see here -
We’re going to close a building that is paid for to move offices into one we pay rent on; and that is going to save money.
We’re going to transfer employee’s except those who are gone already, and will not be replaced; and that’s going to save money too.
We are going to provide less service at a higher cost to the person served (cost to drive south); and that’s going to save money too —
Makes sense to me!
Where’s the beef?
i asked north escambia about this some time back , and THE COUNTY trying to save money the centry office is a county owned office NO RENT HERE ,BUT the tag office in cantonment is a rented office (so i here), WHAT’S UP WITH THAT ? ??, NOW THE NORTH ENDERS HAVE TO BEND OVER AND SUFFER AGAIN, KEEP THE OFFICE OPEN AND ABOUT THE RUDE ONE GET THEM REPLACED, THE BOCC Magaha & Hollie need to have a town hall meeting in the NORTH END this means we only have one tag office north of 9 mile rd, AND HOW MANY SOUTH OF 9 MILE RD ??? THANK’S BOCC/ Magaha & Holle
One more thing; we don’t need the court house in Century because you could not get your business done there anyway. Since this announcement I have listened to so many stories about NOT being able to get your business done there until it is ridiculous. I would like to share some ,but that one clerks’ name would have to be mentioned. We had so many Floridians driving with Alabama tags because it was easier to GET an Al tag. We had people who couldn’t get boats registered, y You name it. Every person you talk to who ever walked in the door had a problem. One thing about it we hope the county doesn’t place her in an office we have to use. I want to think she won’t be able to get away with the same stuff she got away up here.
Yes, there are families just as bad off in each of those communities. That’s why I usually refer to the “north end of the county” instead of just Century. We are ALL suffering and that is the point. We aren’t north of 9 Mile so we don’t matter.
actuelly it was very sad to read all this news and whats going on the century courthouse to close and the tax collector , the court servcices gone by june because that is going to be hard for the poor people to get this faraway transportation 45 miles away in downtown pansacola
For the past few years several of my friends have said that they want lower taxes and smaller government. I would say that with the closing of the school in Century, and now the courthouse along with fewer services at the clinic in Molino they are finally getting exactly what they want. If you are not satisfied with the results, then maybe the next time you might think about the old saying, be careful what you wish for, you might get it.
Why is it always poor pitiful Century? There are families just as bad off in Molino, Bratt, Walnut Hill, Barrineau Park, McDavid, Barth, Davisville, Old Molino, etc. Yet no one wants to provide anything for these people. But God forbid you take something out of or away from Century. I for one am sick and tired of hearing all the poor pitiful me songs. No one from Century complained when they are closing Molino Health Clinic. No one from Century complained when they closed the Law enforcement office in Walnut Hill. No one from Century complained when they closed the only grocery store in Molino. No one from Century complained when they closed K-mart in Atmore because you have always had it and take it for granted…..welcome to the rest of the world.
YES THEY HAVE, IF THEY BEHAVE THEMSELVES THEY WOULD NOT HAVE FINES TO PAY. EVERYTHING IS CLOSING, BECAUSE CENTURY IS SUE HAPPY. IF THE PRISON DID MOVE, THEN CENTURY WOULD FIND SONEONE ELSE THAT WOULD BE SUPPOSEDLY BEHIND ON UTILITIES.
It would be nice if we had a County Commissioner that would help this end of the county instead of doing everything to put and end to it. I don’t like Pensacola, I don’t like the beaches, and that money pit they are about to build is a waste of money there are better use of the money instead of a park no one will use.
I don’t think buying the old Molino School was reckless spending. That will house a library that will be accessible to the residents who don’t get to go to one otherwise. It will be much closer for the people in Molino and Cantonment than going all the way downtown or driving all the way to Century. Think of the people who will be helped by this. They’ve been left out in the cold up to this point and it’s high time that they got a library they could actually USE.
I agree about the individual in the tag office. But another reason the amount of business in Century has dropped and now seen in Cantonment is that you CAN”T get a drivers license there any more and the 2 busiest days of the week (Monday and Friday) they are closed. Also is you weren’t having a hard enough time with fines, etc you have to drive at least 40 miles to have business taken care of. Here is our fine govenment working against us again as usual.
In answer to used to be Jay, Money on a ball park is a great way to spend money. In case you haven’t noticed ,there is nothing up here for kids of any age to do. This park will bring families together, and give more boys and girls the chance to participate in sports.
Since some one has already mentioned it…….there was one clerk at the Century office that kept people from doing their business there. When you first walked in the door you heard her irritating voice, and her personal business besides her family members behind the desk doing God knows what. I would go back in line to avoid her mouth. the other clerks were helpful and in my opinion knew they were fighting a loosing battle. The Cantonment office is not that far away ,you can do business by mail ,and everything you could possibly want to do is on-line, use the computers at the excellent Branch Library in Century where the librarians are very helpful. You can not blame people for not patronizing a business like the Century court house.
anicole–you’re right. The “incompetent check collectors” working at the century office are very RUDE. And they did charge more. But those “rude people” are going to get to keep their jobs, but I bet they don’t treat people in the Cantonment office RUDELY.
What about the tax collector in JAY, is it still open.
The BOCC keeps throwing away money that could be used to keep these services in the “North End.” I’m sure saying this is going to make some folks mad, but here are two recent BOCC actions that in my opinion are not needed, especially right now when the commission is saying that there’s no money. Spending +$200k for a ball park in Bratt when there’s one that’s under utilized just down the road in Walnut Hill. And just this week – $400k for an old school building Molino that’ll take at least another three quarters of a million dollars to renovate. These are just two examples of irresponsible, reckless spending by the commission. I’m sure your property taxes, just like mine, are going up again this year; however, Kevin White says that a cost of living adjustment for county employees is “ludicrous.” No Mr. White, what was ludicrous was you taking a pay hike because state authorized it. November 2012 isn’t coming fast enough.
This is disappointing for everyone within a 30 mile radius, not just Century residents. I live in Walnut Hill and used to use the Century courthouse for all of my needs, but I stopped about 3 years ago due to the fact that the people working there were ALWAYS rude and that things seemed to cost more there. On several occasions we would go to renew a tag or switch a title and when we called Century it would cost more then when we called Cantoment…. hmmm? We always wondered why, but could never get an answer from either side, so we just stopped going there. I wish the higher-ups asked people why they stopped using the courthouse and tried to fix the problems, opposed to just shutting it down. It was so much easier for people in on this side of hwy 29!!!
Century has not “did” it to themselves. The county has DONE it to Century.
They don’t care about the hardships that will place on residents of the north end of the county. I guess they’re only thinking about the bottom line, which is that this will make a HUGE financial windfall for them since they will be saving the costs of operating the Century office AND there will be all the added income from the people who wind up paying extra fines because they couldn’t get down there on time. Late fees will add up and so will the arrests for failure to appear which will generate even more revenue. Think how many people will suffer financially for this.
But then….why is anyone surprised?
your county commissioner at work.
Again, let’s just break away from Florida and merge with Alabama. We don’t want Pensacola for an address. When do the citizens get to voice what they want and need and actually have it heard and the opinions be taken seriously. I agree with Buddy. The WalMarts are closer anyway.
I’ll buy my gas and groceries in Brewton any day before buying it in Century! The markup on groceries and gas is ridiculous. Does this make me a less supporter of Florida? No, I work 40 hrs a week supporting the great state of FL but I have enough common sense to drive across the state line and when it will save me several dollars.
Century has did it to themselves.
whats next, paying taxes on groceries in Century
John
To Buddy, maybe that is what is wrong now…supporting AL not Florida…what do you expect?
What’s next, the prison?
Well,is this our SIGN?? How can we ever hope to move forward if the county keeps taking everything away little by little? Of course,this seems to fit in just fine and dandy( not to mention convenient) with the one government consolidation that is being sought for.Last night on the news,several people were asked about that idea…no one asked had a clue..Of course the reporter didn’t bother to drive north to get some of the north ender’s views.Same old same old……
I think I will sell out and move to Alabama, I already buy my gas and grocerys in Brewton