SCOTT CITY TO GET TOUGH WITH ITS TAX DELINQUENTS

SCOTT CITY -- City officials in Scott City say they intend to start cracking down on people who haven't paid city taxes.

Roadblocks are planned to catch people who haven't bought a city sticker, because to purchase one requires proof that personal property taxes have been paid.

Delinquent personal property taxes for 1991 amount to nearly $5,000. Delinquent real estate taxes for 1991 amount to nearly $10,000.

The city also has delinquent real estate taxes for 1990 of $5,397, and for 1989 of $555.

City officials say the failure to pay personal property taxes has affected the city's budget. Allowing the problem to continue will only penalize those who have paid them, they said.

They also consider it a bigger problem than failure to pay real estate taxes because, after three years, the state can foreclose and sell property on which no taxes have been paid.

The problem was brought up at a city council meeting Monday. Council member LaDonna Phelps said she was "appalled" at the number of people who have failed to pay personal property taxes for one or more years.

On Tuesday, she said city officials have a plan of action, namely, the roadblocks.

"There is no excuse for it," Phelps said. The city, she said, "is like everyone else, on a tight budget. There is no reason these people shouldn't be put in a position where they need to pay them. I think the entire council agrees on that."

If roadblocks are set up, police officers can issue tickets to all motorists who are city residents and have failed to purchase a city sticker.

The stickers are only $4 a year, but proof of payment of taxes is required for their purchase. Violators could be issued tickets or face fines.

"Any time you have people who are not paying their taxes, it is a concern," said Mayor Larry Forhan. "The city is going to do everything in its power to collect those delinquent taxes.

"It's not fair to the rest of us who are paying our taxes."

City Collector Aleene Warden said personal property tax bills are issued at the end of the year. A reminder is also sent out, and if the bill hasn't been paid by March 15, an additional $1 is assessed.

But she said aside from the reminders, "the only way we can confront these people is through their city stickers."

A total of $4,848 in personal property taxes has not been collected.

Phelps said roadblocks have been used in past years to find people who fail to buy a city sticker. But they haven't been utilized in the past year or two, she said. Because of this, city officials have been allowing violators to go unpunished, she said.

"This might encourage people to pay their taxes, especially after they're handed a couple of tickets," she said.

"I think we don't have much choice," said Phelps. "Roadblocks are what we're going to have to do next."

Phelps said if the nearly $5,000 is collected, it won't have a huge impact on the city's budget. But she added that it would make a difference when an emergency expense comes up during the year.

"I think the reason this has gotten out of hand is because the city has failed to do anything about it in the past several years," she said.