The director of two acclaimed Civil War movies owes Washington County over $263,000 -- and county officials aren't happy with the pace of his repayments.
According to the Herald-Mail of Hagerstown, Ron Maxwell, the director of "Gettysburg" and "Gods and Generals," initially received a $300,000 loan from the county in 2002. The money was supposed to help Maxwell make "The Last Full Measure," the third of his Civil War trilogy, and was loaned on the condition that at least half the film would be produced in Washington County.
The loan, which came with a 4.5 percent annual interest rate, was supposed to be paid off in 2010. However, the Herald-Mail reports that Maxwell still owes $263,041 in total. Furthermore, Maxwell hasn't made a payment on the loan since June 2008, county officials told the paper.
For now, the county continues to work with Maxwell and his attorneys on repaying the debt, though county attorneys say a lawsuit hasn't been ruled out. The Washington County Board of Commissioners have also gone on record to express their displeasure with Maxwell's slow payments.
"He's not on track, and he owes Washington County taxpayers," Terry Baker, the president of the board of commissioners, told the paper. "He hasn't lived up to his obligations."
For his part, Maxwell has vowed both that "The Last Full Measure" will be made, and that the loan will be repaid.
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