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Chardon expands job for tax collections
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - April 07, 2011)
Chardon expands job for tax collections
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Chardon City Council reached a compromise last week on income-tax-collection duties as it reviewed and approved appropriations for 2011.
Council agreed to expand the number of days for an income-tax clerk from three to four per week. The compromise came after Finance Director Jeffrey Smock asked that the position be made full time.
The discussion preceded an approval of appropriations totaling around $17.5 million. That figure compares with appropriations of $18 million and $18.9 million the last two years.
Mr. Smock made the case for creating a full-time position for income-tax clerk Barbara Raikes, who was hired part time in November 2008 to track down those who are delinquent or fail to file for the city's income tax collections.
Mr. Smock said that he has a "full plate" of duties without doing anything with income taxes. "There's enough work there to keep her busy five days a week," Mr. Smock said.
Getting tenant rolls from landlords is the most time-consuming part of the job, he said, because landlords are slow to respond to city requests.
The city had expanded the role since the initial hiring, increasing the number of days from two to three.
The city has benefited from the position, Mr. Smock said, collecting $1.70 for every $1 spent. He said the position has helped collect $56,000 of the $172,000 identified as owed.
Chardon Law Director James Gillette said Ms. Raikes has been "invaluable" in assisting him with civil cases brought to court over unpaid taxes.
Councilman Robert Cromwell said, while Ms. Raikes has done a "marvelous job" for the city, he was reminded of how council viewed the position when it was first created. He said that role was to be a "tax chaser," not an income-tax person or one who handles accounting functions.
He said, while the city is now collecting more than the position pays, he is not ready to add a full-time position with benefits in this type of economy. He said because of the expanded hours and pay, any gains from the position would be offset by the cost.
"I don't see how we can afford to do what's being suggested," Mr. Cromwell said.
Councilwoman Nancy McArthur, who supported the full-time job, said income taxes are the city's largest source of revenue, providing about 35 percent of them.
Mr. Smock said any of the new duties that would come from the full-time position would aid tracking down delinquent and non-filers of income tax.
But, other council members also raised objections to creating the full-time position.
Councilwoman Deborah Reiter said she was surprised to see the job expansion in the budget. "I don't think I'm comfortable with it," she said.
Councilwoman Leslie Bednar, likewise, said she did not think council should go with the full-time position. She said council should look to be conservative with its finances at this time because of the number of projects the city is looking to do.
Council, in the end, agreed to the compromise, increasing the hours from 24 to 32.
Mr. Cromwell said council will review the matter again in six months to see if it is still a benefit to the city.
"If it's $1.70 for every buck, I will say you were right, and I was wrong," Mr. Cromwell said.
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