Published Tuesday, October 15, 2002
tax issue again
collection cost
Herald Staff Writer
A month after a Farrell Area School Board meeting degenerated into name calling and shouting after Sue Rado pointed out two members were delinquent in paying taxes, Mrs. Rado was back.
She stayed mostly quiet Monday, kibitzing her husband, Samuel, who did most of the talking.
Rado said the question he and his wife asked at the last meeting was never answered: Where does the board stand on the issue of non-payment of taxes?
He said it was morally wrong for the board to raise taxes when some of its members were not up to date on paying theirs.
At the time of the last meeting, two school board members, Jerome Flint and Lester Robinson Jr., and a Farrell council member, Jeannette Wright-Hooks, were slated to lose their properties in an upset tax sale for non-payment of 2000 taxes.
Since then, they all either have paid up or agreed to payment plans.
Flint, who was not at the September meeting, said Monday all board members pay, but the payments are not always timely. He added there is a penalty assessed for late payments.
"If you want to give me some money to pay on time, I'd be more than happy to accept a donation," he said.
Rado said the board's decision to raise property taxes by 4 mills in May hurt a lot of people, including his 72-year-old mother-in-law, who is on a fixed income.
"She takes food off her table to pay her taxes," Rado said.
Board President Michael Wright said all district residents have bills to pay and limited incomes, making it difficult to pay the bills on time.
"We're all on a fixed income," Wright said.
School board member Sadie Benham said she's one of the people Wright is talking about.
"I'm lucky my name wasn't on the list," said the 72-year-old great-grandmother who has two school-aged children and three foster children at home. "I'm juggling all the time."
Ms. Benham said she did not think of herself when she voted to raise taxes.
"It's about what's best for the children," she said.
Flint said his decision came down to his belief that, if the district did not raise taxes, the district's financial condition would become so bad that the state would eventually take over the district.
Flint noted the district hired a law firm in January 2000 to collect delinquent taxes. At that time, more than $600,000 was owed.
Rado criticized the move, saying it costs taxpayers money to pay the firm.
"They're getting back more dollars than we're paying them so that's a plus to the community," Wright responded.
Superintendent Richard R. Rubano Jr. said he didn't know how much Maiello, Andrews and Price LLP of Pittsburgh and Wexford had collected. He noted the firm was supposed to turn in a report to the board three months ago.
The firm is paid 8 percent of collections and a fee of $55 an hour for administration.
Rado asked the board whether it will raises taxes again in the spring.
While Rubano said it was too early to tell, Wright responded, "I would say, 'yes,' because we don't have the (tax) base, Sam."
Several board members offered to discuss Rado's concerns with him privately.
"That's a lot better than I got last time," he said.