More back tax issues for Democratic-endorsed State Senate candidate Ricky DeJesus. In addition to owing $140,000 in back personal property taxes, he owes another $15,000 in delinquent real estate taxes for properties on the East Side, according to city tax records as of Thursday.
Leading the way is 10 River Street, where $8,968 is owed, including interest, from July 2014 and 2015 installments not paid. Back taxes on the property were sold for tax years from 2006 to 2012 to a tax lien collection company Benchmark Municipal Tax Services. That means once the city sells the liens the city no longer holds a financial interest for those respective years. In these situations the city receives some cash, the company charges interest and goes after the owner to collect.
The city has often used this procedure to receive cash to plug budget holes.
Two other properties on Mencel Circle and Texas Avenue also show arrearages for the same period.
DeJesus is running in the February 24 special election to fill the State Senate vacancy of Andres Ayala, the commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles. Republican Quentin Dreher, Working Families Party Ed Gomes and petitioning candidate Ken Moales and Charles Hare are also on the ballot.
Meanwhile former City Councilman Bob “Troll” Walsh, a Gomes supporter, has filed an FOI request with the State Department of Revenue Services seeking the following information from a staff attorney.
As I mentioned to you on the phone, the city of Bridgeport provides far greater visibility and accessibility to individual and business tax records and it has been widely reported that a current member of the Bridgeport City Council and a candidate for State Senator in this month’s special election owns companies that owe the city of Bridgeport approximately $140,000 in back taxes and interest on personal property, is in arrears in real estate taxes on commercial and residential properties he owns and is in arrears on child support payments to the tune of over $30,000. Now he may soon be receiving state money in the form of CEF Grant of over $70,000. I feel a great disconnect in the way the state does business as it relates to transparency in taxation and collections and protecting taxpayers’ privacy from abuses of FOI versus trying to protect the interests of the taxpaying public.
You had informed me that by law the Department of Revenue Services cannot make public any information regarding noncompliance with filing tax forms related to state sales and use tax or payroll tax withholding forms. I am sure that you realize filings are the basis for determining tax liability for these types of taxes. And furthermore you cannot make public the status of arrearage, payment plans, etc. And although I have no reason to disbelieve you I feel I must perform my due diligence and continue with a formal request from your office.
Pursuant to Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act, I am requesting copies of any documents, emails, correspondence and other written material relative to any noncompliance of report filing related to sales and use taxes and payroll taxes for East Coast Auto Parts, Inc., Genesis Motor Works (Bridgeport tax records) a.k.a. Genesis Motorworks, LLC (SOTS CONCORD) or any other business entity publicly or privately known by the state to be under the ownership or management control of Mr. Richard DeJesus a.k.a. Ricky DeJesus. Furthermore, pursuant to Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act, I am requesting copies of any documents relative to any delinquencies or arrearages owed to the state by East Coast Auto Parts, Inc., Genesis Motor Works (Bridgeport tax records) a.k.a. Genesis Motorworks, LLC (SOTS CONCORD) or any other business entity publicly or privately known by the state to be under the ownership or management control of Mr. Richard DeJesus a.k.a. Ricky DeJesus.
Surely your office can find a way within the language of the law to weigh the public’s right to know the competency and character of candidates for state office versus the individual’s expectation of privacy relative to their personal income.
Splendid!
Ditto!
That’s my Bubba!!!
*** Hey, what’s the big deal in being behind on your high city and state taxes, anyway? All the other city and state pols do it from time to time, no? ***
Mojo,
It’s good to have your voice back in the mix. You often bring another perspective to our comments as your CC and other experience inform you.
Lots of attention on Richard DeJesu’s multiple tax problems that create further problems for him and raises the serious question as to what is happening in his life and whether he can seriously afford the necessary time to represent the hardworking and taxpaying people in his district.
I noticed the name of former CC member Warren Blunt on the tax arrearage listing. When he was on the Council and also a City employee, he responded to Tom McCarthy’s offer to provide $2,000 to a local charity from taxpayer funds. Today that same City budget is looking for him to make good on his property tax. Those in public office do not seem to handle public money as they do their own. There is no real pressure at budget-making time, where Tom Sherwood has taken budget formation duties away from most departments and does things in this top-down manner, yet department heads often need to show up to explain and defend a budget that is genuinely not their own.
Why has the Council sought to hide their participation in an illegal action using taxpayer money budgeted for Other Services (for which the City nor the Council received any) to provide funds to local charities at a time of primaries and elections? Let’s see if this issue rises to relevance with any “watchdog” group assembled to show abuse of public trust and money. Time will tell.
Maybe Warren should have used his stipend monies to pay his property taxes.
So WHAT’S NEXT?
Dear Mr. Richard DeJesus:
On behalf of the City of Bridgeport, again I would like to offer our most sincere apologies for mistakes made. While handing your tax problem, it was a gross oversight for which we accept full responsibility.
To remedy this situation, we have already fixed our original error of taxes owed ($140,000) and will be offering you a refund of $23,968.00. We try our best not to make mistakes, but when they happen, we try to fix them!
I hope this will make amends for the mistakes that were made. Rest assured, your unfortunate experience has helped us identify a major problem in our tax department, which has now been fixed.
If you have any questions about this issue, please contact us at 203-576-7271 and, on behalf of all of us in the tax department, we are truly sorry!
The Tax Collector
City of Bridgeport
CC
Bill Finch
Stevie Auerbach
Tom McCarthy
Rev. McCluster
Hamilton Burger
Lennie Grimaldi
The Troll
Ed Gomes
DEJESUS, HE HOSE US!
Ricky DeJesus owes “… $140,000 in back personal property taxes, he owes another $15,000 in delinquent real estate taxes for properties on the East Side, according to city tax records as of Thursday.” Ain’t politics great?