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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 9299~, ;~ _. a .. 9.. _ ff+r ~. ..r: .r r. ,: ORDINANCE NO. ~~ ~~ ° AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR A 15~ ADDITIONAL PENALTY ON PROPERTY TAXES WHICH REMAIN DELINQUENT ON JULY 1 OF THE " YEAR IN WHICH THEY BECOME DELINQUENT, TO DEFRAY COSTS OF COLLECTION; PROVIDING THAT THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE CUMULA- TIVE OF ALL ORDINANCES; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR ENGROSSMENT AND ENROLLMENT; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the City of Fort Worth has contracted with an attorney to represent the City to enforce the collection of delinquent taxes as provided in Section 6.30 of the Texas Property Tax Code; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Fort Worth desires to provide that taxes which remain delinquent on July 1 of the year in which they become delinquent shall incur an additional 15~ penalty to defray costs of collection as authorized by Section 33.07 of the Texas Property Tax Code; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS: SECTION 1. That property taxes of the City of Fort Worth which remain de- linquent on July 1 of the year in which they become delinquent shall incur an additional penalty of 15~ of the amount of taxes, penalty and interest due to defray costs of collection. Such 15~ penalty shall be in addition to other penalties and interest which are due and owing according to law. A tax lien shall attach to the property on which the tax is due to secure payment of the 15$ penalty. The penalty established under this ordinance shall not apply to any taxes assessed before January 1, 1984. SECTION 2. This ordinance shall be cumulative of all provisions of ordi- nances and of the Code of the City of Fort Worth, Texas (1964), as amended, except where the provisions of this ordinance are in direct conflict with the provisions of such ordinances and such Code, in which event conflicting provisions of such ordinances and such Code are hereby repealed. ~ ~ ~ ~?` u , i n s ~'~ . ~++~_ v ~'i'S SECTION 3. r It is hereby declared to be the intention of the City Council that the sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses. and phrases of this ordinance are severable, and, if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared unconstitu- tional by the valid judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections of this ordinance, since the same would have been enacted by the City Council without the incorporation in this ordinance of any such unconstitutional phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section. SECTION 4. The City Secretary of the City of Fort Worth is hereby directed to engross and enroll this ordinance by copying the caption and Sections 1 and 5 in the minutes of the City Council and by filing the ordinance in the ordinance records of the City. SECTION 5. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage, and it is so ordained. APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY: City Attorney Date : ~ '~ }` `~ - ~ S ADOPTED: t~ EFFECTI E: -2- h~~ Iw~~ .~ '~~ ASTER F{l.E•L -^ C C17Y MANAGER•1, `iJ2t~ ~~' ~'~r~ ~~orth, texas ACCOUNTING .2 ~ f/~ ~~ ~~ ]] ~®~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~®~~ 7fiANSPOR7ATIGN~PUBLIC .WORKS-..~\\® ~ 1,%j,,(V// LA!': 1 T~:X=1: DATE REFERENCE SUBJECT Adoption of Additional 15/ PAGE 1/29/85 NUMBER G-6233 Penalty to Defray Costs of ~ 1 of~.W...-. Delin went Tax Collection On January 4, 1985 (M&C C-8799) City Council authorized the City Manager to execute City Secretary Contract No 14194 engaging Heard, Goggan & Blaix`, Taylor Gandy and H G Wells, to collect delinquent taxes for the City of Fort Worth The contract was entered pursuant to Section 6 30 of the Texas Property Tax Code f Section 33 07 of the Property Tax Code authorizes cities to provide that taxes that remain delinquent on July 1 in the year in which they becamle delinquent shall incur an additional penalty not exceeding 15% to defray costs of collection This penalty may be imposed only if the city has contracted with an attorney pursuant to Section 6 30 When the tax firm was engaged, City Council indicated a desire to impose the additional penalty authorized by Section 33 07, retroactively if possible On December 28, 1984, the Texas Attorney General issued Opinion No. JM-285 which holds that the penalty imposed by Section 33 07 may not be imposed retroactively and applies only to taxes currently delinquent in the year when the penalty is imposed The Department of Law agrees with this opinion and recommends that City Council not impose the penalty retroactively--i e to taxes assessed before January 1, 1984 ~ Recommendation It is recommended that City Council adopt the attached ordinance imposing the 15°1o additional penalty authorized by Section 33 07 of the Texas Property Tax Code on all taxes which remain delinquent on July 1 of the year in which they become delinquent WA do Attachment P,PPROVED BY CITE' COUNCIL JAN 29 1985 ~~ City Seczetacy of the City of Fort 3dLa[t~y ~ 5UBM17TED FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S CIFFICE BY ~ ~~ ~=`j~j-,/--_ ?%; DISPOSITION BY COUNCIL. ^ APPROVED PROCE5SED BV V ORIGINATING Wade AdIC1nS ^ OTHER (DESCRIBE) . DEPARTMENT HEAD CITY SECRETARti FOR ADDITIONAL IN FOR.AAIiTdIONAdkins Ext. 7b23 W a 2e Adflpted Ordinance No. gz! DATE CGNTACT .