Oklahoma House Speaker Lance Cargill was delinquent in paying property taxes on his Harrah law office six years in a row, an investigation by The Oklahoman revealed.
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"I take full responsibility for this error,” the Republican leader said Friday in a statement prepared after flying to Florida for a meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures.
"I certainly apologize to the people of Oklahoma and to my colleagues, and will take steps to ensure these matters are handled in a timely and efficient manner in the future,” Cargill said.
Oklahoma County Treasurer Butch Freeman said, "He's one of my favorite taxpayers because we make a lot of money on him in interest and penalty.”
Cargill has faced widespread criticism over the last week for other tax problems.
The Oklahoman reported Cargill failed to file his 2005 and 2006 personal income tax returns until getting a Jan. 7 warning from the state Tax Commission. Cargill blamed a miscommunication with an accountant.
Cargill, who is an attor-ney, fell behind months on many of the property tax bills on his law office, county records show. His company, Harrah Professional Partnership, bought the office in September 2001.
The property tax on the first year was paid on time but payments have been late every year since, records show.
Local school districts are the biggest losers when Oklahoma property owners fail to pay their real estate taxes on time.
More than half of the real estate taxes on Cargill's law office were designated for support of Harrah schools, records show.
Smaller amounts go to support other schools in the county, the city of Harrah, Oklahoma County government, the library system, the Oklahoma City-County Health Department and a Choctaw technology center.
Most of the original tax bills on the law office have been about $700 or less for the year. Cargill was supposed to pay at least half by Dec. 31 each year.
He or his company has had to pay a total of $562.44 in penalties, interest and fees by paying the taxes late. None of the late fees go to the schools.
The property taxes on Cargill's home are handled by a mortgage company and have been paid on time, the treasurer said.
In his statement, Cargill said, "Unlike my home, my business property taxes are not automatically paid because the business is owned outright and there is no mortgage.”
Cargill sent in a $1,623.93 check — dated Jan. 10 — to pay his overdue 2007 and 2006 property taxes on his law office, records show.
The 2006 tax was more than a year overdue. The 2007 tax, at that point, was just days overdue.
The check was not enough to cover both years, because of interest on the 2006 bill, and Cargill will be notified he must pay more, the treasurer said.
Cargill's $752.66 property tax bill for 2007 will be considered delinquent until a full payment comes in, Freeman said.
Cargill was eight months late in paying his 2005 property tax on the law office, the records show.
The $811.12 check covered the tax, penalty and interest.
Harrah Professional Partnership was more than seven months late in paying the 2004 property tax on the law office. The check was for $731.15.
Cargill paid the 2003 property tax on the law office more than seven months late. The check was for $780.52.
Harrah Professional Partnership also was more than seven months late in paying the 2002 property tax on the law office. The check was for $775.65.
The treasurer said Cargill apparently took care of the late payments most years after getting delinquent tax notices.
Those notices are mailed in July.
Only 3.12 percent of property owners had failed to pay their 2006 real estate taxes as of June 30, the treasurer said.
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I believe in freedom of the press, However I believe in things being reported should not target one politician but all. I do know personally of two differant events where Rep. Cargill was there for the people. Even If his taxes wasnt paid. One was for an elderly man, who was being scammed. NO CHARGE The other
talking to children about child abuse. NO CHARGE so while everyone throws bricks at him they may need to look and see what they have done for someone lately.
Im not defending anyone here, but I would rather know
a man is behind on his taxes. Than not behind his people. Isnt that truely the reason we vote them in.
Yes as Oklahomans the tax is important and the fines are just, However again Picking bones out of someone's closet is pretty petty. I'll stick with the Oklahoman
that cares for Oklahomans
I sure Mr. Cargill knew the hazards of the job when he ran, if he didn't then he needs to return the law degree. Like it or not in todays media, a sneeze by an elected offical is news.
How about MERIT RATINGS for parents involvement for parents involvement in the childs education. How about A - F. A child of a parent scoring an F merit rating that scores above an F in school should result in merit pay points for teachers. If a child of an A parent scores lower than an A, the teachers suffer a loss in merit pay points. Meanwhile, if the Oklahoman is going to write something about Lance Cargill, perhaps it should be REAL news? ;)
Maps4Millionaires, Cleveland - Jan 27, 2008 at 5:07 pm
If merit pay for the Oklahoma Legislature were now instituted, with a system actually designed to do what the term implies, the salaries of many legislators should appropriately be reduced to next to nothing. They are among the highest paid legislatures in the country, for their part-time job, and apparently one of the poorest performing. If Oklahoma public school teachers were put on merit pay as a whole for the state, their pay would have to be immediately increased by many thousands of dollars to match their product, if test scores or used as a yard stick, which they are by the media and the legislature, in order to be on par with similar test score levels around the country. As it is, Oklahoma schools are producing close to the high end of test scores, and perhaps other parameters, with about one-half the per student annual spending of the national average. Even with recent pay increases, teacher salary levels in Oklahoma are near the bottom nation-wide. Archaic Oklahoma laws, overseen by our legislature, are much of the reason that many school facilities are in miserable physical condition, because school districts are so restricted, by Oklahoma law, in passing bonds for needed funds to improve or replace their facilities. Students as well as teachers are having to try to work in classrooms and hallways with chronically leaking roofs and all the subsequent problems of such, and districts are having to waist more money to try to continue repairing roofs or other structures that should have been torn down and replaced years ago.
Not many other entities within any type of government setting have to deal with the ridiculous conditions and laws that schools have to. One example of this is having to have at least a 60% majority to pass bonds, maybe more than that. Again, this is perpetuated by our highly paid Okla. legislature, and Okla. constitution. What's that got to do with Cargill's chronic late paying, which some want us to believe is no "big deal"? The most important point is that if a majority of people who have property taxes did what the Speaker of the House does, it would indeed be an extreme hardship on the public schools. Wonder if that what Speaker Cargill, and his staunch supporters, really have in mind? Maybe one reason we have so much "white-collar" crime and graft in this country (ala Enron) is there are so many people that want to excuse so much errant, unethical behavior that hurts others, illegal or not. This is the example Cargill sets.
JH,deep red creek...Exactly. Speaker Cargill is one and the same legislator who has proposed "merit" pay for teachers!! Which, I would like to add, I strongly oppose.
If he remains in office - I think it would be fair for him to submit to a full audit of his personal and business finances - otherwise step-down. You have tarnished your financial image, and lost trust with the taxpayers of Oklahoma.
Lawerence, Oklahoma City - Jan 27, 2008 at 11:56 am
It speaks volumes of his character. A lawyer forgetting about paying property taxes and personal taxes? It's a bunch of BS - he is not responsible enough to handle his own affairs - and he has no business being involved in anyone elses especially the state of Oklahoma. Oklahoma has enough problems with ghost employees and crooked politicians - we don't need irresponsible people making decisions for our state. He may be a nice guy - then I am sure he will be successful in his law practice where he should devote more of his time in order to pay his bills on time instead of blaming others for his faults. Last week the paper printed an article stating legislators that fail to pay their taxes will be dismissed. So why hasn't he been dismissed yet? Taking full responsibility is NOT waiting until a newspaper article is written about how irresponsible you are for not paying your bills, and then writing checks to cover yourself!
Lawerence, Oklahoma City - Jan 27, 2008 at 11:53 am
Oops...surely the reference which Darren made was not in regard to Speaker Cargill's ad valorem taxes, but to the Speaker's failure to file his personal income tax. What is the Tax Commission's policy regarding failures in filing personal income taxes? Is it possible that the agency has no reliable policy in place for identifying such failures and following up on them? Sometimes in state government, the right hand truly doesn't know what the left hand is doing. If there is no criteria in place for monitoring such failures in a timely manner, there needs to be some sound and dependable policy set in place. (I don't believe we can expect Speaker Cargill to write a HB on establishing that criteria...but maybe that can be checked out and someone will be willing to sponsor such legislation.)
It does not reflect well on his character. As an elected official his character should be above reproach. _______However, the Oklahoma Tax Commission is not going to be in his face in regard to his ad valorem taxes. Ad valorem taxes are under local jurisdiction..that being the county where said property is located. _________I read the story after my first post. I should have read it prior to making one._______ It is remarkable and unacceptable that his 2006 taxes remained unpaid until January of this year. Should the property have gone to Sheriff's Sale this past September or would that have occurred in September 2008? I have no idea what the law is on that point. Is the County Treasurer giving Speaker Cargill forebearance and special privilege? I am not saying that is so...I don't know though I wonder. _________As far as his stating he takes full responsibility ....pardon me, but full responsibility equals paying one's bills on time.___Anne, Oklahoma City, had made some valid and important points.
If Mr. Cargill had only been late paying his taxes one year, I wouldn't think too much about it. But apparently, paying HIS taxes is the least of his priorities. To be late year after year is not acceptable for an elected official, especially someone that is Speaker of the House. In fact, I'm guessing he just sent in the last ones after he was written about on the Income Taxes. It says that he just sent in his 2006 property taxes in January of this year. So what if he takes full responsibility? Only 3.12% of the population pay as late has he does. I hope his consituents are smart enough not to re-elect him.
how many citizens would have gotten away with being late for 2,3,4,5 years or more without the Oklahoma tax commision showing up at the door and taking everything we own but these LAW makers get away with it by making LAWS that affect everyone but them it is time for some serious change of leaders in Oklahoma i just hope that at election time people rember to kick these bums to the curb
I am not pro-Cargill or anti-Cargill. I admit that I haven't liked some of his ideas and the direction he seeks on a number of issues._____________I believe it is meritorious to pay one's bills on time. I believe that is the goal people should seek and a standard worthy of meeting....no matter what the bill. __________Having said that, I want to also say that being delinquent is not the equivalent of not paying "the bill"....any bill, including ad valorem taxes. Being late in paying one's bills may is not a good habit. However, does it really equate to wrong doing? After all, the taxes were paid...albeit paid late. _______ Now, if the Oklahoman reported that House Speaker Cargill's property was being sold at Sheriff's sale for non-payment of taxes, that would likely be newsworthy. However, that is not the story reported.__________ That he has been delinquent 6 years in a row on the same real property indicates to me that he, like many other citizens, is doing a balancing act of sorts when it comes to his ad valorem taxes. He paid them. He paid them late. The pattern has been established. It may or may not continue. Many people often find that happens by necessity. ________However, the key word is "delinquent"....a word that has more than one meaning. In this instance, the reported story brings the reader to a conclusion which seems intended to infer one of the more negative meanings. When it comes to the payment of ad valorem taxes it seems important to remember that the meaning delinquent in this instance means " Overdue in payment: a delinquent account" and is not the equivalent to breaking the law. As long as the taxes are paid, no law has been broken. _________ In fact, the law provides for penalty tax to be assessed on delinquent ad valorem tax. So, in fact, upon the payment of said taxes, House Speaker Cargill has also made amends by paying the fee for late payment._______Many people make a habit of being late on these taxes for whatever reason. Once they have done that, the pattern established often makes it necessary to continue that pattern. So long as the tax is paid, there is no law breaking. If the tax is not paid, the property is taken and sold at Sheriff's sale in the fall._____________Whatever else Speaker Cargill has done or failed to do, I don't know. Speaker Cargill is not one of my favorites. I am not affirming him. I am only saying that in this situation, I don't believe there has been any crime or blatant wrong doing. We need to remember to apply the correct meaning to the term delinquent (or any word with multiple meanings) in regard to the act or action or issue being discussed.
If you think that squawking about this on a DO website makes any difference, then you might be a redneck...... Go tend to your sheep and get a good nights rest this evening.
Speaker Cargill not paying his taxes on business property in a timely manner should not be bangdangled in the newspaper. Had he not paid them would be another manner, but he stands out bigger and brighter than the rest of us, he is an elected public offical. He, who controls the legislative process in the House, should set the example not be the example.
j3lly, Boon Dock wrote: "That's one way for a republican to cut taxes. That's to not pay it at all. " He DID pay the taxes, he was just late in doing so. Doesn't excuse him.
Lance is one of the nicest most honest guys around. Nobody is perfect. I'm sure that quote of 4% of people are not on time is off target. Being late on a payment is nothing new to the majority of americans. So, whoever has not been late on a payment cast the first stone. He has admitted it was an issue and is making it right. Just because the Oklahoman does there own little investigation to go after him. What would they find if they went after citizens of Oklahoma. Probably a lot of the same things.
Is this guy above the law? That's one way for a republican to cut taxes. That's to not pay it at all. The State of Oklahoma fired a few state's employees because they failed to pay their state income taxes. I wonder if they'll get rid of this goon too?
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talking to children about child abuse. NO CHARGE so while everyone throws bricks at him they may need to look and see what they have done for someone lately.
Im not defending anyone here, but I would rather know
a man is behind on his taxes. Than not behind his people. Isnt that truely the reason we vote them in.
Yes as Oklahomans the tax is important and the fines are just, However again Picking bones out of someone's closet is pretty petty. I'll stick with the Oklahoman
that cares for Oklahomans
Not many other entities within any type of government setting have to deal with the ridiculous conditions and laws that schools have to. One example of this is having to have at least a 60% majority to pass bonds, maybe more than that. Again, this is perpetuated by our highly paid Okla. legislature, and Okla. constitution. What's that got to do with Cargill's chronic late paying, which some want us to believe is no "big deal"? The most important point is that if a majority of people who have property taxes did what the Speaker of the House does, it would indeed be an extreme hardship on the public schools. Wonder if that what Speaker Cargill, and his staunch supporters, really have in mind? Maybe one reason we have so much "white-collar" crime and graft in this country (ala Enron) is there are so many people that want to excuse so much errant, unethical behavior that hurts others, illegal or not. This is the example Cargill sets.
If you think that squawking about this on a DO website makes any difference, then you might be a redneck...... Go tend to your sheep and get a good nights rest this evening.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLNbHp_tXgk