What appeared to be a miniscule noncontroversial Agenda Fixxing Session with only six resolutions and one ordinance in for first reading
to be approved for next Tuesday’s business meeting exploded out to a 2 1/2 hour
meeting.
The meeting could be broken up into two segments; the first
a lengthy discussion on what seemed to be a routine consent agenda item; the
annual required by law setting of interest rates on delinquent taxes. If I
under stood correctly this was to be as it has been in the past; at 8% for the
first $1500.00 owed and 18.5% over that amount. I will return to this subject later.
For some unsaid reason neither of the two resolutions that
the Council refused to add to the agenda at the previous week’s Reorganization Meeting
were not resubmitted.
The second part was a rather prolong public commentary session
in which some time was devoted to commentaries relating to the open appointments
to Director of Public Affairs and Safety and also the Police
Director. I will report this in a following posting.
Suffice to say Siddeeq El-Amin did make an eloquent
statement which I intend to post at that subsequent posting. He did remark:“You, and others, have
called my reputation into question; others have made egregious statements, and
not given me the opportunity to clear it with you and the public.”
Tax Collector Marshall was blindsided when first Councilor
Greaves and then Reid objected to the interest rates as been punitive to those
who could not afford to pay.
Marshall pointed out that last year there was an only 93%
tax collection rate which rose to 98% after letters imposing the deficient interest
rate was sent.
Reid remarked that the burden on seniors was great and this
penalty will drive many from the city.
Councilor Williams countered that if
there was no pressure for the delinquent taxes to be paid or obtained through the sales of “Tax Liens”, the
taxes on those who paid would have to be raised or services drastically cut.
The others seemed to ignore the fact that Plainfield is not
the Federal Government which solves the problem of not enough money by raising its
debt limit.
The Corporation Counsel explanation that by not acting on
this resolution the city would be placed into certain legal difficulties. Never
the less by a 4:3 vote the resolution was rejected. However Council
President
Rivers who voted not to place it on the agenda said it could be introduced as new
business if either amended or clarified before next week’s meeting.
In view of published remarks in the past about names of city official’s and
authority member’s names appearing on the published tax sale lists, one cannot
help but question whether the objections could be self-serving rather than
altruistic concerns for the elderly. If this were true there also could be some
ethical problems.
The Public Comment Session will be the subject of the next
bog
pushing back thoughts
about “Bridgegate” and “Obamacare”.
I think the actions of some of the councilors last night with regard to the tax issue were absurd. They had no problem with those rates last year when Sharon was mayor--now they have problems with the same numbers? Ridiculous! Unless of course they are trying to sabotage the new administration, and let's hope that isn't the case. We don't need to start the year with the kind of nonsense we saw last night.
ReplyDeleteThere are always people who will claim a hardship in payment of taxes due. Some of those are seniors and some are not. What these council members fail to realize is that uncollected taxes worsen year by year until the burden on all other taxpayers becomes severe for them, as well. The penalty rates proposed are the maximum permitted by law. If the rates are reduced, those who purchase the tax liens will simply move on to other communities, the liens go unsold, and Plainfield loses even more revenue. This is a business decision that must be made for the benefit of the majority of taxpayers and the City.
ReplyDeleteCouncilor Reid did not have a problem with the rate in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.
ReplyDeleteCouncilor Greaves did not have a problem with the rate in 2011, 2012, and 2013. These two councilors also think they deserve a raise in salary for the great work that they have done as members of the governing body.
Councilor Rivers, Councilor Storch, Councilor Brown, and I have voted in favor of the rate every year that we have been in office. When these tax delinquents, many of whom are absentee landlords who thumb their noses at our local government, do not pay their taxes, the community suffers. What happens if we cannot meet our obligations? Who suffers? The answer is, the hard-working people of this community, including the very seniors whom we are purporting to care about. What I am concerned about is the fact that the absentee landlords, the banks that have tax obligations on the properties that they own, the entities who are warehousing homes, and those who just don't feel they want to pay taxes, are being given carte blanche to not pay.
Many of us have struggled to pay our bills, but we understand our obligation. The large majority of people (including seniors) pay their bills and expect the city to live up to its obligations to them. As Mr. Marshall said, when the notices go out, people pay. That is why he has been able to get our tax rate up. We must collect the taxes that are due. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the city to function effectively.
Meanwhile, Councilors Reid and Greaves think they deserve a raise. I think that the residents should weigh in on that.
Rebecca