She said Monday that borough police have been great in checking up on her and her family since the racial attack and that they have been safe ever since. Coffee’s election received some “blacklash” when her home was vandalized with racial and derogatory slurs. Guiney could not be reached for comment Monday.ĭemocrats took Collingdale’s mayor race and three council seats, providing a split party leadership as Coffee works with a 4-3 Republican council majority. (This includes people who rent properties who do not directly pay for real estate taxes.) Even though municipalities set up their own requirements for elected officials, Maddren said he was quite sure that they do not use tax delinquency as a disqualifier to run for office.Ĭoffee received support from Delaware County Democratic Party Chair Colleen Guiney, who in a January Daily Times article announcing Coffee’s candidacy said the Republican “pale male” makeup of councils around the county is being flipped to more “diverse, modern” candidates like Coffee. ![]() “Everyone gets in trouble, and I’m not criticizing her in that way, but you shouldn’t run a town when you have that problem.” McGarrigle did go on to say that the county is helpful in getting its residents through a tough time (like back taxes).Īccording to Delaware County Solicitor Mark Maddren, the age and number of years a perspective candidate has lived in a municipality/school district are the essential requirements for someone seeking an elected public office. “I don’t think anyone should be in the position to run for office if you are back in your taxes,” he said. Outgoing Mayor Joseph Ciavarelli – who has no listed tax delinquencies for his Rively Avenue residence, according to the county – could not be reached Monday to provide comment on his former mayoral opponent.ĭelaware County Republican Party Chairman Tom McGarrigle said Wednesday that he knows, personally, how it feels to be behind on your taxes, but for a small borough that has been running well under Republican control, Coffee’s election to mayor with her financial woes is “a disgrace.” “We’re paying all of our taxes owed.”Ĭoffee, who runs a non-profit organization, said monthly payments are being made to the county and she will continue with that payment arrangement, “and I have no problem with that.”Ī tax note on the county’s public access site said the residence has been held from upset sale. “It is true and we are on a payment arrangement,” said Coffee about the delinquent taxes and fees. Though the house was bought for a reported $75,000, it has been assessed annually at $89,460 and taxed at that rate.Ĭoffee said Monday that she and her husband did get behind on their taxes, attributed it to a time more than three years ago when she was diagnosed with cancer (she is now in recovery) and her husband was left to work and take care of the finances. Collingdale Borough Manger John Hewlings confirmed late Monday that a payment for $250 was posted to the $7,200 sewer/trash bill this year. The delinquency at one point was more than $24,000, but payments made have brought the amount down to $7,652 (the county does not include sewer and trash fees in its delinquency figures). The county’s public access website shows another $1,694 owed in municipal taxes for the borough.įrom the borough and county’s official documents and what the county reports on the public access site, back payments to the three governing bodies total $14,874. ![]() 23.Ī sewer/trash certification bill from the borough shows a past due amount of $7,222 from 2013 to 2019. Only Southeast Delco did not issue a response before the district went on their extended winter break starting Dec. ![]() Right to Know requests were issued to Collingdale Borough, Southeast Delco School District and Delaware County asking for tax bills for the Coffees’ North Street residence from 2012 to 2019 and proofs of payments through Dec. 6 to fill a two-year term left by Republican Frank Kelly who died in Nov ember 2018 in the first year of his most recent term (he served as mayor for more than 40 consecutive years until his death). COLLINGDALE – The first Democratic black woman to be elected mayor in Collingdale’s history is functioning in the red when it comes to paying taxes to the borough she chose to lead.Īccording to municipal records obtained through a Right to Know request, Felecia Coffee and her husband, Alfred Coffee Jr., owe almost $15,000 in municipal real estate taxes and sewer and trash fees on the home they’ve owned in the borough since early 2012.įelecia Coffee confirmed she is in arrears on her taxes, but is in a program to pay it back.Ĭoffee is expected to be sworn-in as mayor on Jan.
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