Richmond City Hall owed more than $50 million in delinquent taxes

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Richmond City Hall is owed more than $50 million in back taxes. A new finance report breaks down where all that money is due from. That number is up about 31% compared to last fiscal year when more than $38 million in delinquent taxes.

“It’s a huge impact to the city. That’s about 100 neighborhood playgrounds. That is about 10 neighborhoods being paved. That is pay raises, pretty significant pay raises to our city employees,” said Stephanie Lynch, Richmond City Councilor.

That’s $7.4 million in unpaid real estate taxes; $29 million in delinquent personal property taxes, like the car tax; and almost $14 million in unpaid business license taxes, which does include the city’s meals tax, among others.

Lynch says the city could do a lot with an extra $50 million on hand.

“We have a lot of folks who are struggling. Struggling to put food on the table, pay bills, so we are looking at relief options for folks who are really struggling to make their tax payments,” said Lynch.

That includes expanding tax credit eligibility for seniors, and potentially allowing payment installments for tax bills.

“We’re putting any and all options on the table to really help citizens who are struggling to pay that, pay that property tax off,” said Lynch.

Another increase was in the special assessments against real estate. $91,000 in fees went unpaid last year.

Those are additional charges billed to a property owner because the property is not up to code. That includes yard work, trash removal and demolition.

If you don’t pay those taxes, the city could put a lien on your property, take you to court or even seize your assets.

For more information on getting current with your taxes, click here.

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