NEW ORLEANS — I've fallen into credit card debt before, and I know what it feels like to owe money. But my problems don't affect the public at large. In the case of Mayor LaToya Cantrell, her tax debt does raise questions among the people she serves.
Whether it's during an emergency or a ribbon-cutting, Mayor Cantrell is the public face of the City of New Orleans. Political analyst Clancy DuBos said in her position, there's an overlap of her public and private life.
"When you're in charge of managing the city, taxpayers’ dollars in the hundreds of millions of dollars and you're not paying your own taxes, that is absolutely a public matter," said DuBos.
Here are the facts: Cantrell owes the IRS more than $95,000. That's from unpaid taxes during a six-year period. As a result, the IRS has placed multiple liens on the home Cantrell and her husband own. DuBos says there seems to be a pattern.
"You don't get a lien on your house unless you virtually ignore the IRS messages, that they're trying to get in touch with you to collect your taxes. This is not a one-off. This goes back years, successive years, where she and her husband have failed to pay their taxes," said DuBos.
On twitter, Cantrell admitted her family has been dealing with this debt for years and are trying to pay it off. She also said it's painful this has been made public. But DuBos said at a time when people are facing higher property taxes, and the Sewerage and Water Board is pushing for a new fee, the mayor may find very little sympathy.
"Voters would see this as a question of standing, of legitimacy, how can a mayor ask me to pay taxes, when he or she is not paying taxes?" said DuBos.
Falling into debt is not unique but being the mayor of a major city is. And now, so is Cantrell's predicament.
In 2018, Cantrell made roughly $138,000 as mayor of New Orleans.
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