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Show Park City sends SOS to state legislature bv Christopher Smart Park City Mayor Jack Green has sent a plea for lielp to Summit County's representative in the state legislature. Glen Brown, concerning property tax delinquency rates here. In a letter, dated Jan. 14. Green characterized the problem as 'serious." Most of the county's $3 million in delinquent taxes comes from the area within the Park City School District boundaries. Green stated, which includes the city and much of the Park City Fire District . "This creates a serious revenue shortfall for Park City, and is a real disaster for the fire district and school district, which are enlirely dependent on property tax for their revenue," Green sairi A quick glance through the delinquent tax list shows that it is the "development community" and "large corporations" that are not paying property taxes. Green's letter goes on to say that individual residents are paying property taxes in a timely fashion. year to gain plat approvals are again delinquen. . The city no longer has leverage on those projects. By law property owners have five years to pay back taxes. Before the city's "gatekeeping" practice proved successful last year, the municipality drafted a legislative proposal for introduction through the League of Cities, according to Green's letter. But he explained to Brown that the league would not be held this year. "We were not able to get the league's support (this year) because they viewed this as a problem unique to Summit County, and devoted their efforts to other matters." The city's proposal would change the interest rate charged on delinquent property taxes on property other than primary residences or agricultural lands, j The plan is designed "to remove the business incentive for non- ' payment." mm actually (the residents) pay a higher tax than they would if the large land owners paid (taxes on time)." He explained that taxing districts increase mill levies in anticipation of low collection rates. Developers have confirmed their intention to leave delinquent taxes unpaid, Green tells Brown in the letter, because the interest rate charged on back taxes is half of the interest rate currently charged by banks. "They view the non-payment of taxes as a prudent business decision." Rather than lobby for state legislation in the face of a poor tax-collection tax-collection rate, the council last year developed a de facto policy of not scheduling for approval new projects that owed back taxes. That stance was successful in raising property tax collections from 70 percent at this time last year to 86 percent by year's end. Currently, however, tax collections are running at about 72 percent. Green told Brown. The state-wide average is about 95 percent. The ctty's de facto policy has not been successful this year because projects that paid back taxes last ' j |