From the article:
Although the number of delinquent payers is improving, however, the county is seeing a different trend -- people being delinquent for a longer time.
"We are seeing more people that are more delinquent than they were," said Weber County Treasurer John B. Bond.
The article goes on to state:
The overall number of delinquent taxpayers is also relatively low. On average, less than 10 percent of all properties in Davis and Weber counties are delinquent. In good times, however, the number is usually closer to 5 percent.
Yet the dollar amount averages in the millions.
In Weber County, about $11.8 million in taxes were delinquent for 2009. In Davis County, it was about $13.1 million for 2009.
The year before, 2008, saw the highest number of delinquencies in the area.
"That also falls in line with the significant financial challenge that hit at that time," Bond said.
Weber had about $11.4 million in delinquencies in 2008, which was a jump from about $8.3 million the previous year. Davis County more than doubled in 2007 with $15.7 million compared with $7.6 million in 2006.
Of those delinquent, the highest dollar amounts belong to business and real estate developers. The average number of delinquencies is about the same between homeowners and businesses.
Hmmm, are we the only ones confused here?
- In Weber County the delinquencies have increased from $7.8 million in 2006 to over $11 million in 2010.
- Additionally, "...on average, less than 10 percent of all properties in Davis and Weber counties are delinquent. In good times, however, the number is usually closer to 5 percent."
- The total for delinquencies is near the high for the last five years, and there are twice as many delinquent properties than in good times.
- "Of those delinquent, the highest dollar amounts belong to business and real estate developers. The average number of delinquencies is about the same between homeowners and businesses."
3 comments:
Well said Valley. We should not be hoodwinked by the County into thinking that these tax scofflaws that owe the bulk of the delinquent taxes are hardship cases. These large corporations and landowners hold back their payments and use the outdated tax collection process as a low interest loan.
For true hardship cases, each County has a tax commission to review such cases so they are not foreclosed on if they are in dire financial straits.
The County refuses to go after these fat cat tax scofflaws in three areas:
1. Abuse of Agricultural zoning - many get large tax breaks even though they graze no animals or grow no crops.
2. Double dipping by tax scofflaws by claiming more than one residence as their primary residence to get 45% tax exclusion.
3. The County should deny any planning assistance to any landowner that owes delinquent taxes in Weber County.
The Weber County leadership does not have to wait for the State to act, they can clean up their own act on these issues.
The County and indeed all Utah Counties could collect thousands if not millions of dollars from these scofflaws without any costs or rising tax rates for other taxpayers. If Weber County could collect just 30% of the delinquent taxes due every year, it could put 3-4 million dollars back into the cash flow without any increase in taxes.
We urge all Weber County taxpayers to contact their Weber County Commissioners and ask why these delinquent taxes are not pursued.
The word on the street is that they want to continue to ignore these facts to provide a more "business friendly" County for these scofflaws. The problem with that is, it is at everyone else's expense.
Doesn't it strike anyone as odd that John Bond the Weber County Treasurer is almost non responsive on this serious issue?
The fact that there are millions of dollars of taxes that are delinquent seems to have no affect on our County leadership. They can hardly wait to raise everyone's taxes in order to make up for the shortfall caused by these tax scofflaws.
If just 30% of the delinquent taxes were collected on time, Weber County would enjoy an influx of cash that would benefit all the citizens and delay or eliminate some future tax increases.
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