Boyle's absolution on tax bill not absolute

A letter from the city's Department of Revenue purporting to settle an ugly argument over a state House candidates' property tax bill does not quite do the trick, a city spokesman acknowledged today.

On Wednesday, Democrat Brendan Boyle received a letter from Revenue Commissioner Keith J. Richardson telling him "The problem has been resolved with regards to your real estate taxes and the file has been cleared." Heard in the Hall featured the letter (see post below) and ran with the city's account that Boyle had a legitimate defense against attacks from his opponent, Republican Matt Taubenberger. Taubenberger had exploited the unpaid $1,865 tax bill in a massive ad campaign calling Boyle "a tax deadbeat."

But today Mayor Nutter's spokesman, Doug Oliver, said that while the city misapplied a tax payment by Boyle and his wife last year to the water-sewer bill instead of the tax bill, that money was refunded to the Boyles in April. Thus, Boyle's property taxes were actually unpaid as of Oct. 9, when Taubenberger grabbed a tax lien from the Bureau of Revision of Taxes website and publicized it in ads throughout the city. Boyle paid up Oct. 13 and calls Taubenberger's attacks a cheap shot, but Taubenberger can at least claim that the taxes were not paid when he launched his assault.

Taubenberger said Boyle should have known that his taxes were delinquent. Boyle said he was not notified until Taubenberger attacked him with it. Boyle said a management company oversees 12 rental properties that the couple owns in the city.

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