ORANGEBURG, S.C. (AP) - “There is no shame in taking orders from those who themselves have learned to obey.”
Orangeburg County Deputy Tax Collector Joyce Davis takes those words from British statesman and philanthropist William Edward Forster to heart. She realizes that earning respect from others first lies in having respect for yourself - and that involves being a good listener.
Davis recognizes the importance of her duties in the Orangeburg County Delinquent Tax Collector Office and is there to help her superiors with an attitude of friendliness and dutiful compliance. It is her ability to conform to the rules of her job without hesitation that has earned Davis designation as the exemplification of obedience for the month of April as part of Orangeburg County’s Community of Character initiative.
“You don’t know who is looking at you when you go about doing your daily work. To have this bestowed upon you is a great thing,” Davis said. “I was totally shocked and surprised that somebody chose me.”
Davis has been in her position for approximately two years. She assists in the duties of the delinquent tax office, including sending out delinquent notices on real and personal property taxes, collecting and processing delinquent tax payments and issuing tax deeds.
“My daily duties are a combination of several things. I oversee the procedures of the delinquent tax office and help the tax collector as much as I can so that everything is done in order and everyone is treated fairly,” Davis said.
“If there are any problems that come up, I take care of those. If I can’t satisfy the person, then I’ll go to the tax collector and ask her for help for a situation that I can’t handle within the office,” she added.
Davis said her upbringing plays a large part in the value she puts in obeying others.
“My mama used to always say that you should respect authority and with that, you have to be submissive to authority. And, you most definitely have to listen. She and my father always said that you should be obedient because of the fact that they were Christians,” she said.
The definition of obedience is not hard to explain - or adhere to - if your heart is in what you do, Davis said, noting that her job is made easier when she obeys instruction and takes the time to help the people she serves.
“My husband is a pastor, and he says obedience is not your will, but God’s will. Obedience in my workplace is not doing what I want to do, but doing what is right for the people,” the honoree said.
The Bowman resident is the wife of the Rev. Sanka Davis Jr., pastor of Rome Baptist Church in Denmark. They are the parents of a son, Sanka.
Disgruntled people who come into the tax office can be soothed with a good listening ear and a calm demeanor, Davis said.
“You always have to respect other people because a lot of times they come in and are frustrated. You just take the time to listen to them and by the time they finish telling their story, they really calm down and realize that it’s not as bad as they thought it was,” she said.
Being able to respect authority makes her job easier, Davis said.
“It doesn’t matter what kind of job you have; what matters is the type of work that you do,” she said.
Davis said she admires the fact that Orangeburg County Delinquent Tax Collector Kathy Henderson makes sure the duties and procedures of other offices, such as the treasurer, auditor and assessor, are known to avoid confusion.
“When somebody comes in, we’ll be able to point them in the direction that they need to go. If you know what you’re supposed to do, then it makes everyone’s job easier,” said Davis, who sometimes personally escorts people to the right office.
“I do that instead of telling them to go to such and such place. You need to be submissive and humble toward other people. Just don’t try to come in with an attitude of authority without knowing the situation,” she said.
She said she has no problem taking correction and direction from others.
“Sometimes some people don’t like for you to tell them how to do something, but in order for you to learn, you would have to be told how to do a certain thing,” Davis said.
She added, “We all have faults and bad days, but sometimes you have to step back from the situation and realize that it’s not always the other person but it’s you.”
Davis said she and her husband have tried to instill in their son the traits of honesty and respect, just two of the many traits the Orangeburg County Community of Character does good to promote throughout the entire community.
“It’s a good program. I want to get more involved with it because it lets people know what other people are doing,” she said.
“That builds a person’s self-esteem up. It makes you feel good.”
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Information from: The Times & Democrat, https://www.timesanddemocrat.com
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