Despite the struggling economy and rising unemployment, city property tax collections this month are on pace with last year.
“It’s phenomenal,” Mayor Art Ward said.
City officials have fretted for months that the property tax collection rate in January might decline slightly, bringing in less revenue for municipal coffers. Even a 1 percent decline might mean $1 million less to cover this year’s costs.
Ward and city Comptroller Glenn Klocko said that property tax collections are running at 98 percent, right where the municipal spending plan for this year anticipated. There are always some who can’t pay – or don’t pay – but they face 18 percent annual charges on whatever they fail to pay on time.
“We’re exactly where we were last year with tax collections,” Klocko said. “No change.”
Klocko said that Bristol has a remarkable track record for paying property taxes on time and even through economic downturns.
But, he said, he was worried that with so many residents trying to cope with a loss of employment, rising utility and food bills and a host of other hardships that it could mean the city tax collector would come up short.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
16 comments:
Judging by the election results every year, at least half of Bristol belongs to a union or is a retired union worker. Those people with their guaranteed income don't have trouble paying their taxes. Most of them get paid by taxes anyway.
Let me get this straight: Tax collections are right up there with previous years; the Governor and the legislature have assured the big cities that there will be only slight reductions to ECS, TAR, and LOCIP (paid for by the $8 billion that Congress is giving to the President); and yet the Board of Finance wants all departments to prepare budgets that are 10% lower than last year, which will certainly involve layoffs. Do they realize what a devastating impact this will have on employee morale? This is like yelling "fire" in a crowded theater.
Who cares about "morale" at this point? Anyone who has a job and an income right now should be smiling.
Looks like we all know where "Odin" works.
Forget the percentage, where are we relative to dollars budgeted, dollars collected?
Does that include former back taxes?
Is Kloko playing with numbers again?
Bottom line, will we end up the year with a deficit: YES OR NO??
BEFORE we borrow from the rainy day fund.
Again, a simple yes or no.
Lets go Art, where are we?
3:16pm - you are 100% correct -- 2:10pm - are you happy or complaining about the fact that union members and THE REST of the community are able to pay their taxes - grow up.
Odin:
The highway to paradise (another city or state) is open.
Take it.
Whimp (mentally evidently):
Well it'd be a twice as bad if one was paid by the public trough and didn't pay his or her taxes, wouldn't it?
Too bad you don't get simple concepts. The public employees don't care as much when taxes go up becasue it usually means MORE FOR THEM and consequently less for everyone else. If you want to call that a "complaint", so be it.
And evidently I'm more grown up than you (for understanding reality).
Obama just signed three Labor Friendly Bills (yesterday).
Better get used to it!!!
"Obama just signed three Labor Friendly Bills:
-If he keeps signing bills that lead to economic stagnation ("labor friendly bills"), get ready for 4 years and OUT (just like his protege Jimmy Carter).
When will Ward start to hold Kloko accountable?
Since there are so many unioooon members in town, I'm sure that bashing them will guarantee your voice anything but continued irrelevance and obscurity as a bunch of nuts!
Just remember it's because of a union member that you have the weekend off.
It looks like the Board is expecting that decreased revenue will catch up with them sooner or later. Especially if this recession goes on longer than expected. Build up the rainy day fund and try to get the city through the tough times.
I guess we should always try to be one of the crowd: Mooooo.
"Just remember it's because of a union member that you have the weekend off"
-Big business is rarely ever forced to do something it doesn't agree to. World War 2 expedited the recovery after the Great Depression and before that business leaders found it prudent to adapt new labor rules for the purpose of productivity.
Today because of foreign competition, business leaders move their plants to other countries...partially because of the unions. Also bloated state and federal budgets over-burden tax payers...because of the unions.
Own it!
Less than 5% going for infrastructure-- gimme a break!
Loks like 4 straight years of campaigning for Obama!
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