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Hillsborough Elections Chief Mum On His Overdue Taxes
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Published: April 11, 2008
Updated:
TAMPA - Hillsborough Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson would not explain Thursday why he has had difficulty paying his property taxes on time but said he will pay all his overdue taxes.
"They will be paid in the next few weeks," Johnson said regarding tax bills in Hillsborough and Sarasota counties that became overdue April 1. "I will pay the late taxes and any late fees that accrue."
Johnson has not paid $1,682 in 2007 property taxes he owes on 20 acres on Thonotosassa Road near Plant City, according to the Hillsborough County Tax Collector's office. He bought the property through a limited liability corporation called Fort Bully LLC.
In Sarasota County, Johnson has yet to pay $7,338 he owes in last year's taxes on a condominium at Rivo at Ringling in Sarasota.
This is not the first year Johnson has been delinquent on his tax bill. In 2004, he was late paying his taxes on a house and lot on Cherry Tree Lane in Plant City. The following two years he didn't pay taxes on the property at all. When he sold the property in 2007, Johnson had to pay $1,122 in past due taxes, penalties and interest.
Then in September, the Hillsborough tax collector sent Johnson a letter saying the office had made a computation error, and he still owed $2,052 on the Cherry Tree Lane property. The office said Johnson never replied to the letter and sent him another one April 4.
Johnson said he never got the September letter; that's why he didn't reply. His title company is now researching the matter, Johnson said.
"If there are taxes to be paid, I'll pay them," he said, "but I'm not aware of any."
Last month, Johnson applied for an agricultural exemption, called a "greenbelt" exemption, for the Thonotosassa Road land. A rancher has leased part of the property to graze 12 cows. The Hillsborough Property Appraiser's office has yet to rule on the application.
Records show Johnson, who makes more than $130,000 a year, has two mortgages on the Thonotosassa Road property totaling $920,000.
He bristled when asked whether he has overextended himself financially.
"That's a personal matter and I don't think it's really any of your business," Johnson told a reporter.
Johnson, 55, is seeking re-election to the elections post this year as a Republican. Democrat Phyllis Busansky, a former Hillsborough county commissioner, also has filed to run for the post.
Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( BlueCollar ) on April 11, 2008 at 5:19 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Worst Elections Supervisor ever.
Thankfully, we can soon vote this clown out of office.
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Posted by ( zteam55 ) on April 11, 2008 at 6:46 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Pesky taxes. I guess with his 130 thousand dollar a year "salary" he just can't afford to pay them all. At least not "on time". Shall we have a fund raiser for ole Buddy?
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Posted by ( davidkc ) on April 11, 2008 at 6:50 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Amen BlueCollar. Not only is Buddy Johnson the Worst Elections Supervisor ever, he doesn't pay his property taxes like the rest of us and then tries to use his position to get a bogus property tax exemption. If we don't voter him out of office this year, we get what we deserve.
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Posted by ( Linker ) on April 11, 2008 at 8:16 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer... by the way, my neighbor's dog took a crap in my yard, does that mean I get a green belt exemption?
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Posted by ( ad ) on April 11, 2008 at 8:31 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
When you really think about it, it is no one's business, except his and the Tax people. The fact he is an elected official has no bearing on the matter, This is a publicity thing, nothing else. How many other people do you think owe taxes and where is their name? So many "self righteous" stories in the paper to incite people and they lead no where. Space fillers.
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Posted by ( billyjoejenkins ) on April 11, 2008 at 8:50 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Umm, "ad,"
Who are the "Tax people?" We are all tax payers, so I must assume you mean us. So you are right, it is between him and every tax payer. The fact that he is an elected official has EVERTHING to with this matter. Elected officials are expected to follow the letter of the law, after all, they make them!
As for Buddy Johnson, he does a horrible job, that is not just rhetoric, he truly is a terrible public servant.
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Posted by ( SaveFerris ) on April 11, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
ad, the problem is that he's an elected official, when he was voted into his position a few voters obviously thought he was intelligent enough to do his job. When compared to supervising elections paying taxes is easy, if he can't even do that properly, then we're in alot of trouble. Luckily we can vote this turkey out of office.
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Posted by ( Tiko ) on April 11, 2008 at 10:39 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
BUDI IS A CROOK
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Posted by ( ad ) on April 11, 2008 at 11:36 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
"billyjoejenkins" you may be a tax payer, but this in no way makes any other tax payer responsible to you.
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Posted by ( Reality ) on April 11, 2008 at 6:37 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
He can't manage his own financial affairs and yet this is the guy we trust to run our elections? Whoa! I think Buddy "Cowboy" Johnson has got to go. Can someone tell me how to contact his opponent to offer to help her campaign?
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