Detroit City Council Member's Property Taxes: $68

Associated Press ^ | May 24, 2009

[reaganaut1]

A Detroit city council member has paid $68 in property taxes this year because city records say her home doesn't exist.

JoAnn Watson's brick Tudor-style home on the city's west side has been occupied since 1926, but city records have classified the parcel as an empty lot for the past decade.

Owners of comparable homes pay $2,000 to $6,500 in property taxes.

Watson told the Detroit Free Press she thought the steep drop in property taxes was a result of tornado damage. She doesn't recall when the tornado struck, however, saying it might have been 1993 or 2002.

[doc11355]

She’s obviously not related to Sherlock Holme’s Watson, or Watson...from Watson and Crick fame. This Watson is low on watts...a dim bulb...but might be the brightest of the bunch on the Detroit City Council. Scary...and we’re nowhere near Halloween yet.

[nufsed]

And dumb enough to pay taxes on a home which doesn’t exist.

[PGalt]

Thanks for the pic. This well-fed, built-like-a-brick Tudor councilwoman from Detroit is obviously not taxed to death.

[mort56]

She should be the poster child for the insanity that is Detroit!

[marlon]

Of course there will be no penalty, after all it's just a mistake. Perhaps her husband or significant other was responsible for paying the bills. Or, maybe the tax collector doesn't speak english so she couldn't understand that he/she was trying to collect taxes. Both of these excuses were given and apparantly accepted by Charlie Rangel and he's the head of the Ways and Means Tax writing committe.

Besides, she's black, a democrat, obese, good chance she's gay so I'm pretty darn sure there is no controlling legal authority for a case like this.

[DUMBGRUNT]

From link

Council Member Watson earned a Journalism Degree from the University of Michigan, where she was active with the peace and justice movement.

Doctor?¿

[FlyVet]

Detroit will be interesting to watch over the next few years. Dave Bing is capable of helping that city, but I'm guessing he will meet a lot of resistance from the likes of Mrs. Conyers, the city council, etc.

I wonder if he's been accused of being an Uncle Tom yet.

[Pride_of_the_Bluegrass]

Yup, ‘bout right.