Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 10, 1993 TAG: 9311100046
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: ROBERT FREIS
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Over the past decade, citizens have thumbed their noses at nearly $900,000 in real estate and personal property taxes and utility bills, city accounts show.
According to city accounts, $426,833.99 in personal property taxes, $256,159.86 in real estate taxes and $203,225.61 in utility bills were classified as delinquent over the past decade.
City Council members gulped earlier this week when they saw those figures.
"It's a little bit shocking," said Council Member Bob Nicholson.
Equally troublesome is a dramatic increase in the rate of tax delinquencies during the past ten years.
A bad economy and a city with transient college students are responsible for the situation, city officials said.
Council met with the city's financial staff Monday to account for the lost revenue, but couldn't find a bottom line.
City Treasurer Martin R. "Jigger" Roberts got his dander up when council asked for an explanation.
"We're understaffed," Roberts said of his office. "Every time I come to council somebody is whacking my budget. We do the best we can with what we have to work with."
The city doesn't have an employee to pursue delinquent taxes or utility accounts full-time, Roberts said.
Until recently, his office hasn't even had the time to mail second notices for late utility bills.
Meanwhile, the number of delinquent utility accounts has multiplied from a dozen per month to between 150 and 175, Robert said.
City officials say despite the big red numbers they've been doing a good job of collecting taxes and utility bills - as good as any private business or company.
Council agreed. "This is no reflection on your department," Nicholson soothingly told Roberts. "We're just looking for a way to encourage our citizens to be responsive."
"We have to do something to get this under control," said Mayor Tom Starnes. Starnes, after examining a thick computer print-out of delinquent accounts, said he saw names of needy citizens and others making "$60,000 to $90,000 per year."
It's difficult to locate many tax evaders, much less make them pay, said City Finance Director Jess Cantline.
Chasing scofflaws who move away or out of state is usually futile, he said. "If we send you a bill, you can frame it and hang it up on the wall. It makes a nice thing."
Cantline said Radford University students with delinquent utility accounts are also slippery. The city has "tried and tried" unsuccessfully to obtain the university's help in locating them, he added.
The city discussed the situation with school officials several years ago, said Radford University spokeswoman Debbie Brown. But the school's policy is not to release student directory information, she said.
"We'd be hearing from a lot of collection agencies if we did that," Brown said.
City officials could obtain a student or alumni directory and look up names themselves, she said.
Council discussed hiring an attorney or a collection agency to chase debts.
Roberts said he knew of a collection agency used by several cities and counties in Eastern Virginia.
"What they do is more like harassment," he said.
Much of the money owed to Radford will never be collected because state law sets time limits on collecting old bills. Utility bills must be written off after three years, personal property taxes after five years and real estate taxes after 20 years.
Council asked Roberts and Cantline to come up with ideas on tightening the system and report back later this month.
In other action, council learned a cooperative arrangement that saved the city from hiring workers for an after-school program will continue at least until next May.
Students from Radford University have been supervising afternoon programs for adolescents at the city's Recreation Department.
Before the program started several months ago, the adolescents were gathering at the Radford Library, which wasn't equipped to handle them.
Initially the student supervisors agreed to work until their school semester ends next month. But Recreation Director Ken Goodyear said the arrangement has been extended for another semester.
by CNB