Add Gwinnett County taxpayers to the list of creditors trying to collect from former County Commissioner Kevin Kenerly.
Kenerly owes more than $18,000 in overdue property taxes and interest on his Braselton home and an adjoining property, Gwinnett County tax records show.
The unpaid taxes are the latest sign that Kenerly, who resigned from the Board of Commissioners in 2010 after a grand jury indicted him on a bribery charge, faces significant financial problems. He filed for bankruptcy in December, claiming debts of $3.5 million.
Kenerly’s attorney, George Geeslin, said the late property taxes likely will be included in the bankruptcy case.
Gwinnett County property records show Kenerly owes $15,850 in taxes and interest due Feb. 1 on his Braselton home. He owes another $2,321 on an adjoining residential lot, on which the taxes were due Dec. 1.
The late taxes are a tiny fraction of Kenerly’s debts. Among other things, he owes $1.7 million for the mortgage on his home, $702,274 for a condominium in Myrtle Beach and $87,554 on the residential lot.
Court records show Kenerly was close to selling the condo for $837,500. But Geeslin said the deal fell through, citing the poor real estate market. He said he’s hopeful Kenerly will find a new buyer soon.
Geeslin also told the court that Kenerly, a real estate developer, will start a new job in the real estate business on April 1. He did not know the name of Kenerly’s new employer.
Kenerly served 16 years on the Board of Commissioners. He resigned in November 2010 in the wake of the bribery charge.
The special grand jury, which spent 10 months examining five Gwinnett land purchases, claimed Kenerly accepted or agreed to accept $1 million to arrange for Gwinnett to buy land to expand Rabbit Hill Park in Dacula. Jurors did not disclose additional details of the alleged bribe.
Jurors also indicted Kenerly on two misdemeanor counts of failing to disclose a financial interest in properties the county rezoned.
The charges are still pending. Kenerly has denied any wrongdoing. A trial date has not been set.
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