Senate President Pro Tem John Campbell wound up in the political soup on Tuesday. The Democrat from Windsor County narrowly avoided a tax sale of his home in Quechee on Tuesday, but not before his mistake was picked up by the media.
Campbell’s $6,000 property tax bill was due on Feb. 4, and he had neglected to pay it as of Monday. That fact came to light when his house was included in a recent listing for the Town of Hartford’s upcoming June tax sale.
“This one caught me,” Campbell said in an interview. “It’s unfortunate but I’m doing what needs to be done. … I didn’t want anyone to think I was hiding or something.”
The state senator paid the bill in full on Tuesday.
Campbell, a trial lawyer, said in an interview that he got behind on his bills because he had neglected his practice in order to lead the state senate from January to May.
“Sometimes people think all lawyers are very wealthy,” Campbell said. “That’s not the case when you’ve been in the Legislature for 12 years. It was my mistake not getting it done quicker. Like some small businesses, cash flow isn’t as good as it is during other parts of the year.”
Most of Campbell’s work as a litigator is taken on a contingency fee basis. Lately, he said, many of his clients don’t have money to pay for an attorney, and he has provided more pro bono services than usual. He takes corporate, contract and personal injury cases.
Campbell, who is the sole proprietor of a legal practice, owed $6124.81 in taxes, including penalties, for his 2,788 square foot, $511,000 house, which sits on a 2.6 acre lot in Quechee, according to a story written by John P. Gregg that was printed in the Valley News on Tuesday morning. The total tax bill for the year was more than $10,000. http://www.vnews.com/06072011/7853628.htm
By late afternoon, Campbell’s tale of woe had been picked up by the Associated Press, Vermont Public Radio, vt.buzz (the Burlington Free Press blog) and the Magnificent Seven, the Seven Days aggregated news email subscription service.
The Vermont GOP got a hold of the story by early evening and used it as a graphic illustration of just how hard it is for Vermonters – of all stripes – to afford the state’s high property tax rates.
Pat McDonald, chair of the Vermont GOP, sent out an email blast to the party listserve using Campbell’s predicament as a cautionary tale for all Vermonters who have difficulty paying their property taxes.
In an interview, McDonald said, “There are so many people stuck on this issue. People are really struggling.”
McDonald blamed the Legislature, which is dominated by Democrats and led by Campbell and House Speaker Shap Smith, for sidestepping the need to reform the education property tax system. McDonald said Democratic lawmakers missed an opportunity to focus on the impact of the state’s high property taxes on the cost of living in Vermont.
“Obviously Sen. Campbell is not alone,” McDonald said. “I know because I work in Barre City, and you see the names of people you know. These people — they’re our neighbors and friends whose houses are sold at tax sale because they are not able to pay.”
McDonald said Campbell’s situation, which was embarrassingly publicized, “sadly brings home a case of someone in the public eye who has issues like our neighbors and our friends.”
