Despite a statement that all delinquent property taxes would be paid by the end of April, at least one business owned by Jim Justice - the state's richest man and the leading candidate for governor - continues to owe more than $190,000 in delinquent taxes.
Two weeks ago, when 15 Justice-owned companies owed more than $3.9 million in delinquent taxes to six Southern West Virginia counties, a company spokesman said they would soon be paid.
"The accounting division pays our property taxes every year in April," Terry Miller, an accountant for Justice's companies, said at the time. "This year is no different, and the taxes will absolutely be paid."
The vast majority of those taxes have been paid, but not all of them.
Justice Aviation, owned by Justice, owes more than $190,000 in property taxes to Raleigh County, according to county tax databases.
The original tax debt dates back to 2011 and has continued to mount by about $30,000 to $40,000 every year since.
Justice's campaign did not return a request for comment. He faces former U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin and state Senate Minority Leader Jeff Kessler in the Democratic primary for governor on Tuesday.
The remainder of Justice's Raleigh County tax debts from other businesses he owns have been paid off.
Justice Aviation is classified as "inactive," according to Justice's financial disclosure statement filed with the state Ethics Commission.
Justice owns 97 separate companies, according to the disclosure statement.
Last week, the McDowell County Sheriff's Office sent a release to local media advertising that Justice had paid $900,000 in county property taxes.
The Greenbrier Hotel Corp., a Justice company that owns The Greenbrier resort, also paid nearly $2 million in delinquent taxes within the last two weeks.
Justice, who has a long history of unpaid taxes and fines and haggling over debts, has long maintained that any unpaid debt will eventually be paid.
"I'm going to make mistakes," Justice said in November. "If we get behind or there's something that's not paid, it always gets paid."
Reach David Gutman at
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