Roddy's Rangers never sleep.
RANGER: "Two San Antonio officials are in big trouble with the Internal Revenue Service.
"As you can see from documents included with this note, IRS has placed liens 'on all property and rights to property belonging to' Councilwoman Elena Guajardo and Councilman Roland Gutierrez.
"Elsewhere in the documents, the council members are informed that IRS has 'made a demand for payment of this liability, but it remains unpaid.'
"Guajardo's liability: $8,853
"Gutierrez's liability: $13,241
"When I came across the liens, my first thought was, 'Roddy needs to see this.'
"I hope you will investigate."
RODDY: My heart skipped a couple of beats when I opened the envelope and saw what appeared to be proof positive that two City Hall politicians were in Dutch with IRS.
Alas, not so.
Before detailing the financial mess, I'd like to thank the anonymous citizen who at considerable risk to his/her job sent me copies of the liens, which the U.S. Department of the Treasury filed at the Bexar County Courthouse in late May.
If the info had led to evidence of financial improprieties by the two city officials, San Antonians would owe the nameless Ranger a huge debt of gratitude.
But in the light of the facts, a simple word of appreciation for noble intent should suffice.
Here, in brief, is an explanation of what led to the liens:
Aides to the San Antonio mayor and council members are not considered city employees. An outside administrator processes their pay and handles all matters related to the mayoral/council payroll.
When new council members are elected, their aides are assigned tax identification numbers.
In June 2005, aides to council rookies Elena Guajardo and Roland Gutierrez obtained ID numbers on an Internet site. They subsequently learned that those numbers weren't valid, and IRS gave them new numbers.
At some point in the process, tax payments to their correct numbers were lost or mislaid. And since IRS held the two council members responsible for those payments, the "unpaid" taxes, late fees and interest were charged to them.
"We were first notified of (the problem) last November, and IRS promised to reassign payments to the new numbers," the clearly frustrated payroll administrator, William Soria, said during an interview last week. "We thought the case was closed."
Then the liens arrived at the courthouse.
"That's the way IRS works," Soria said. "You can't fix a problem overnight."
He recounted several subsequent "documented calls" with IRS agents and taxpayer advocates and said he hoped the problem had finally been resolved.
A couple of days later, he called to report additional reason for hope:
"IRS said the liens would be withdrawn by Monday."
Trying to be helpful and positive, I didn't ask if his fingers, toes, eyes and large and small intestines were crossed.
RANGER: "I took Express-News rental ads and 'For Rent' yard signs that I saw and checked the addresses on the Bexar Appraisal District Web site. What I found: Six of the houses (addresses enclosed) are being rented even though the owners have homestead exemptions that give them a break on property taxes. Isn't this illegal? Shouldn't someone investigate?"
RODDY: I forwarded the six addresses to Bexar Appraisal District, and after an investigation, a BAD official reported that two of the properties "appear to have potential violations."
If those violations are confirmed, the owners will lose their homestead exemptions.
One small step for tax equity.
One wide smile for the white-hatted Ranger band.
To contact Roddy Stinson, call (210) 250-3155 or e-mail rstinson@express-news.net. His column appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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