By Stephen Faleski

Special to the News-Herald

Windsor will refund about $2,600 in machinery and tools taxes to businesses that overpaid them based on an incorrect formula that had been used by Isle of Wight County, the Town Council decided on Tuesday.

The refunds, totaling $2,626.72, will come from Windsor’s general fund. Windsor’s comes on the heels of a similar announcement by county supervisors, who learned that Isle of Wight had been incorrectly assessing machinery and tools and that changes would have to be made to the county’s assessment formulas.

In past years, Isle of Wight has assessed the tax value of machinery and tools at 100 percent of their value.

During a previous Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors meeting, the board concluded it had been overtaxing county residents and should have been assessing the tax value of machinery and tools at only 60 percent.

The change will require Windsor and Smithfield to repay residents for any overcharges during the past three years.

Windsor officials anticipate the county will reimburse the town for its refunds later this year.

Also during the meeting, council voted unanimously to name Durwood Scott as vice mayor.

Isle of Wight County Clerk of Court Sharon Jones swore in Scott for his new term on council, along with Councilmen Greg Willis and Walter Bernacki. Scott and Willis were reelected last year, and Bernacki won the election over former councilman and vice mayor J. Clinton Bryant.

In keeping with tradition, the council voted unanimously to pass a resolution recognizing Bryant and former Planning and Zoning Administrator Dennis Carney for their years of service to the town. Bryant had served more than 12 years, and Carney had served more than six years.

Before concluding for the night, Mayor Carita Richardson announced that she will attend the Commonwealth Transportation Board meeting on Jan. 18 in Richmond to speak about Route 460.