Resident raises concerns about Catawba Nation ties and rising uncollected property taxes at Cleveland County meeting

Robert Williams, a Cleveland County resident who addressed the board during the public comment period on Jan. 16, told commissioners he was troubled by the county's association with the Catawba Nation and cited tax-collection concerns.

"The Catawba Nation is not in Cleveland County. The Catawba Nation is not in North Carolina. The Catawba Nation by federal law, is a separate national entity," Williams said, adding that the county's connection with the tribe should be limited to the casino. Williams also told the board he had reviewed finance materials showing what he described as "an exponential increase in uncollected taxes for the year 2023" and suggested the county explore alternate collection methods such as monthly payment plans used in other North Carolina jurisdictions.

The board did not provide a response to Williams' specific claims during the public comment period recorded in the transcript. No county official provided tax-collection figures or data during the meeting to corroborate or dispute the claim about 2023 uncollected taxes. Williams said he planned to write further about the issue.

Why it matters

Public commentators who raise concerns about county relationships with tribal entities and the county's tax collection can prompt follow-up by staff or commissioners; factual claims made in public comment typically require verification by county finance and legal staff before policy changes.

What happened next

The board proceeded to other agenda items (consent agenda, public hearings and appointments) and did not take immediate action on the issues Williams raised during the Jan. 16 meeting. The transcript records no formal response or staff report addressing the tax-collection claim or the concerns about the Catawba Nation in that meeting.