Florida the rules are different here Chapter XXIII

From today's Sun-Sentinel-

Dismayed that businesses owe $36 million in back taxes on their furniture and equipment, Broward County commissioners Tuesday decided to explore hiring collection agencies or the property appraiser's fraud investigation unit to collect the money.

The move follows a South Florida Sun-Sentinel report Sunday that the county has not forced more than 10,000 businesses to pay delinquent tax bills, some running over $100,000.

I read that article. Tax Collectors who did personal business when they were supposed to be working at their jobs. One even colllecting shoes instead of taxes.

The county does not seize and sell the property or garnish company bank accounts as other communities across the state do.

Commissioner Ilene Lieberman urged her colleagues to take responsibility for collecting the delinquent bills away from the county Finance Department, saying it had proven incapable. Interim County Administrator Bertha Henry said she will return to the commission within a month with a specific plan and promised to explore the alternatives commissioners suggested.

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Just as residents must pay property taxes on their homes, businesses are assessed on the value of any equipment and furniture. The taxes become delinquent the April after they are due and state law allows counties to pursue payment for up to seven years.

Henry and commissioners said they had been unaware of the lack of enforcement. Yet, those directly in charge of the collection operations have known of the problem for at least four years without making any reform.

The past-due bills have accumulated while tax collectors have been investigated and disciplined for such things as shopping for shoes and mowing their yards when they were supposed to be working.

The problem came to light earlier this year when a new internal auditor for Property Appraiser Lori Parrish began a review of companies that had not filed tax returns on their equipment. The auditor discovered many also had not been paying their taxes, prompting Parrish to challenge the county over its efforts.

Parrish said Tuesday her nine-person fraud unit was willing to take over the work if the county would give her seven additional positions.

Lori Parrish is a piece of work. She's a former knucklehead winner. So are almost all the Broward County Commisioners.

Now these knuckleheads want to hire a collection agency to do the work the tax collector's office hasn't done? What is wrong with this picture is what Broward taxpayers should be asking. Broward County government is apparently too dumb and thick to see what these elected officials are doing. It's about time they are held accountable.

As I say- Life in Florida, don't you just love it?

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