If you want something from the City of Buffalo, like a license, a contract or approval for a development project, you better have your taxes paid.
The Common Council is asking city lawyers to come up with a law to force tax payments from people or companies that want something from the city. Common Councilmember Richard Fontana told colleagues Tuesday it can be complicated when taxes are owed by a corporation or a developer, but the same developer is using another corporation to seek a city approval.
"The county's having trouble collecting on some of the judgments. Essentially, they're like, 'Yeah, sure, I owe this judgment within Erie County. The judge handed it down. But I'm not doing business as that anymore, I'm doing business as this' and it becomes a problem," Fontana said. "So if we can find a way to help safeguard around this LLC proliferation, I think that could help in this situation."
Majority Leader David Rivera said everyone should pay their taxes.
"Put together a policy with regards to unpaid taxes, to make sure that we consider unpaid taxes whenever we're deliberating, whether it's the Planning Board, Zoning Board," Rivera said. "As a matter of fact, there was something before the Zoning Board or the Planning Board and they could not consider the fact that the developer did not pay taxes. Well, this will allow them to consider that."
Council President Darius Pridgen said he would like the new rules in place by the start of the new fiscal year, July 1, because the city needs the money.
"Go into our new budget in July and I think that should be in place for anybody," Pridgen said. "I think if someone comes to this Council and they want a license for a tire handler, well, why should we give a license for you to open a business and you owe the city money."
How well the plan will work is unclear.
