WEST LOGAN — Members of the West Logan Town Council discussed going after local businesses that have not been paying their Business and Occupation taxes at their December meeting.

Councilmembers discussed a local business that is several years in arrears on paying the taxes and the possibility of turning it over to the West Virginia Municipal League for collection.

Mayor Darren Akers said the town had been patient and reasonable and tried to work with the business about the matter but the owner never paid a cent following a proposal of reducing some past debt if the business would come forward and start paying what it owes now.

"It really isn't fair for the other businesses in town who do pay what they owe regularly," Mayor Akers said. "We have been patient and we have tried to work with them, but they just don't seem interested in obeying the rules. "

One councilmember noted that the business owes so much money for so many years that if the municipal league collects on the debt it could pay for a proposed new truck to be used by the town's street department.

West Logan Police Chief Robert Ward said the business owner had been notified by registered letter that the matter could be turned over to the West Virginia Municipal League by January 4 if they do not contact town hall to make arrangements to begin paying.

Ward told the Logan Banner that other municipalities in the state have the same problem which was why the Municipal League developed a program to go after outstanding B&O debts.

"They will look into the exact amount a town is owed, take the business to court and collect on it, then they take a 30 percent cut," Ward said. "That's not bad, considering you are dealing with businesses that sometimes owe thousands of dollars they think they can get away with not paying and so long as they don't pay the towns are not getting anything anyway. Sometimes a business that is in arrears will say, "oh, we will move out of your town," but the thing is, if they are not paying anything and they are using the town's services, what does a town get out of them being there?"

In other West Logan news:

•Town Clerk Kristi Adkins received permission to close out a separate account the town had for fire services which was only used to pay a $60 fire hydrant maintenance fee to the county. Adkins noted that the fee could be paid from the general fund and that the monthly fees and other hassles coming from the separate account were unneeded.

"There is no reason to pay $14 a month on late fees," Adkins said. "Why have a separate account?"

•Council approved paying of bills. Councilmember Jamie Browning said the town was $500 in the hole on the garbage service and $5,000 on the year. Mayor Akers noted the town had brought in over $8,000 in revenue this past year in new funds.

• Police Chief Robert Ward said the town's police cruiser had received a recall notice from Chrysler for repair work.

• Mayor Akers said he spoke with the City of Logan Police Department which complimented West Logan for assistance Ward gave in a recent armed robbery case.

"I want to tell all the people here that Robert did a good job," Akers noted.

On the date of the robbery, Ward pulled over a vehicle matching the description of a car that left the crime scene and a few days later Ward assisted in finding the whereabouts of an individual the Logan PD wished to question.

• Mayor Akers discussed a recent Logan County Commission meeting where the elimination of some 200 or more abandoned and dilapidated buildings was discussed. Akers said that he hopes the ramshackle structures on Second Avenue in West Logan are soon to be removed when the program is up and running.

• Council discussed the recent audit. Town Attorney Dan Dahill said that according to Glen Gaynor's office there were no major problems.