Alderman Rolando "Roy" Centeno Chaired the Planning and Zoning Sub-Committee meeting last night. The purpose of the meeting was to hear from the public regarding Resolution 14-400, a measure that would punish property owners by among other things, requiring them to pay 5% of their rental income to the city, a tax the council was proposing to charge these landlords above and beyond the high taxes they already pay. But wouldn't the city be better off if it could just get members of the council, like last night’s chairperson, to pay their own taxes?
According to the records of the New Britain Tax Collector, Mr. Centeno and his wife are delinquent on their property taxes for their home at 289 Slater Road. According to the tax collector’s files, the Centeno’s have not paid their 2011 taxes that were due on July 1, 2012 for a total due of $2,536.12—which includes interest of $109.20. The collector’s records also show that the Centeno’s are delinquent on their 2010 taxes which were due on July 1, 2011. The record shows that they owe $169.60 for their 2010 taxes—which has resulted in a lien being placed against their property by the Tax Collector.
This is not the first time I have reported on this alderman being delinquent on his property taxes. On March 4, 2009, I published a report that was called the “City of New Britain Tax Delinquent Hall of Shame!” Mr. Centeno made that list with a $537.51 delinquency in motor vehicle taxes. Now he chairs a meeting over which the council intends to force taxpaying citizens to pay more while at the same time he doesn't pay his own taxes. The ultimate in hypocrisy is that Mr. Centeno continues to receive his alderman
salary from the city while he continues to fail to pay his taxes.
fs
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteMr. O'Brien took office on a promise to get tough with out-of-town property owners who rake in rents -often government-paid Section 8 money - for dilapidated and neglected properties. But the proposal to levy a surcharge on some landlords' rental income drew protests from property owners who said they're not part of the blight problem — and don't want to be punished for it.
Chairman Centeno's public hearing & comments of New Fees on rental income was enough to draw many leaders of the previous Republican administration to show up before the Common Council for the first time since O'Brien's Democratic-Liberal-Socialist-Plantation ticket won a massive victory last November. Former council members Mark Biernacki and former Corporation Counsel Attorney Gennaro Bizarro criticized the proposal, and former Mayor Timothy Stewart sat in a back row applauding the many comments
Typical Democrats-expect everyone else to pay the taxes they don't pay.
ReplyDeleteThis is nothing new. There has been a cavalcade of Dem alderman over the years that have not paid their taxes. Rick Lopes comes to mind right away. So how about passing Resolution 14-401? If you are an alderman and delinquent on prooerty taxes the city can automatically garnish all or a portion of your common council salary to pay your taxes and you may not act as a sitting councilman while you are a tax delinquent. You may not attend meetings, vote, host meetings or propose resolutions etc...until you are no longer a tax scofflaw.
DeleteWe need Stewart to run again.
ReplyDeleteSection 12-162 of the state statutes already gives the tax collector the authority to issue a tax warrant that authorizes one of the city constables to garnishee the wages of the aldermen or anyone else for that matter that is delinquent on their property taxes. Once the tax warrant is issued to the constable, that constable has the authority not only to garnishee wages, but to levy bank accounts or personal property including seizing the vehicle in order to satisfy the warrant. Now all we need to do is get a tax collector that is willing to do the job of issuing these warrants to the constables.
ReplyDeleteAs far as passing a resolution that bars the tax delinquents from serving on the council, do you really think you are going to get this bunch of misfits to pass such a measure when it always seems to be their own party who are the delinquents?
Don't you think that the councilman chairing a meeting aimed at taxing the crap out of the citizens while being a tax delinquent himself is newsworthy?
ReplyDeleteBut that is not the kind of news you will read in the liberal one sided biased local media, unless someday it is a Republican councilman chairing that meeting, but then again, a Republican wouldn't be pushing to tax the crap out of you.
A new ordinance is not needed as the city has a right to garnish any payments to a person that owes them monies. They do it all the time to contractors and others doing business with the city so all they have to do is apply the law to all!!!
ReplyDeleteThe only problem with the last post is that laws don't apply to Democrats.
ReplyDeleteDon't recall seeing any follow-up to this story?
ReplyDeleteNew Britain councilman kills woman in accident
Monday April 9, 2012
New Britain police are handling the investigation, but News 8 is told once the investigation is complete, they will send it to the Connecticut State Police, to make sure everything was handled properly.