Tax collectors need to look no further than City Hall to find a large bulk of the money owed to the government.
NBC10 Investigator Harry Hairston undercovered interesting information regarding tax debt and employees of the city of Philadelphia -- hundreds of them owe nearly a million dollars collectively in property taxes.
The NBC10 investigators added up the bills of 200 city workers who owe money and the amount totaled almost a million dollars. Some of the deliquent, who include employees working in the water department, personnel and the courts, owe as far back as six years, said Hairson.
Two Philadelphia Police Officers owe about $20,000 each, according to Department of Revenue records obtained by Hairston.
Another employee, a city court clerk named Ann Marie Gibson, owes more than $16,000.
When approached by Hairston and his NBC10 camera at her home and questioned on her deliquent property tax, Gibson simply laughed and slammed the door.
What's even more astonishing, is that all of the employees who owe taxes are still receiving paychecks.
"It makes no sense to me for the city to pay people who aren't paying their taxes," says Zach Stalberg, a member of the government watch dog group, Committee of 70.
City officials say that there's not enough staff to check the tax records of city employees on a constistent basis and therefore, their delinquency gets overlooked.
Philadelphia residents, however, do not find that answer an exceptable one.
"Just because you're a city worker, you shouldn't get a free ride," Roxborough resident David Butler said.
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