August 13, 2014: Follow-Up Review of Businesses Owing for Police

PhillyClout
City Controller: Philly owed $2.5M for police
services
Chris Brennan Posted: Tuesday, August 12, 2014, 11:21 AM
City Controller Alan Butkovitz today said the city is owed $2.5 million as of June from
organizations that received police services, with $1.8 million of that debt being more than 90
days old.
Butkovitz, in a letter to city Revenue Commissioner Clarena Tolson and Police Commissioner
Charles Ramsey, noted that several of the debts are more than 10 years old.
The top five largest debts add up to a combined $1,062,458. They include:
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: $341,328
Philadelphia Phillies: $275,874
Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corp.: $256,094
Mann Center for the Performing Arts: $108,453
Philadelphia Gas Works: $80,706
"This is an opportunity for the city to generate more revenues that can help alleviate the financial
burden placed on the budget," Butkovitz wrote to Tolson and Ramsey. "The city must take
aggressive action to pursue all outstanding debts."
Philly Owed $2.5M for Policing, Including
$276K From the Phillies
City Controller Alan Butkovitz released a list of businesses
he says owe the city money for police overtime. The
Phillies still owe from their 2008 World Series
championship.
By Dan McQuade | August 12, 2014 at 1:33 pm
Alan Butkovitz. Photo: Cbrblessing
City Controller Alan Butkovitz said today the City of Philadelphia is owed around $2.5 million
in past due balances for police services. A majority of it, $1.8 million, comes from businesses
that are more than 90 days late on their bill.
Among the money the city is owed, according to Butkovitz?
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The State, oldest age of debt 2007: $341,328.73
The Phillies, 2008: $275,874.76
Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corp, 2010: $256,094.63
Mann Center Performing Arts, 2013: $108,453.81
Tiki Bob’s Cantina, 2007: $68,847.11
Chuck E. Cheese, 2006: $21,308.82
Lincoln Financial Field, 2009: $19,057.47
MMM Model Management, 2008: $643.33
AMC Franklin Mills, 2008: $46.70
St. Joseph’s University, 2013: 12 cents
Wal‐Mart, 2013: 1 cent
Yes, that’s right: Tiki Bob’s, which closed ages ago, still owes the city almost $70 grand. And
Chuck E. Cheese better not try to pay the city back with proprietary tokens!
Butkovitz says the Phillies' tab stems from the 2008 World Series championship. “The City
needs to collect the money that is owed and settle any outstanding disputes about who owes what
and for when,” said Butkovitz in a statement. “The City must take aggressive actions to pursue
all outstanding revenues.”
Here's Butkovitz's letter to the police and revenue departments, and the full list of places he says
owe the city money.
Butkovitz calls on Philly to collect $2.5M
owed for extra police work
By Jim Saksa
Published: 08/12/2014 |
City Controller Alan Butkovitz released a report today calling on Philadelphia to increase efforts
to collect approximately $2.5 million owed by 389 entities for services provided by the city's
Police Department. The top three balances are owed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
($341,000), the Phillies ($275,000) and the Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation
($256,000).
The controller's report is just the latest in a long line of bad news for the Ogontz Avenue
Revitalization Corp. (OARC) and its founder, State Rep. Dwight Evans. OARC has been the
target of lawsuits and state investigations in recent years related to the alleged misuse of millions
in state funds. Last year, OARC settled a two-year investigation with the state by agreeing to
return $1.2 million, and withdraw requests for grants worth an additional $1.8 million. The
agreement assigned no wrongdoing to OARC.
For decades, Evans, as the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, directed
millions of dollars to the nonprofit in the form of state grants. Evans, who lost his leadership post
in an intra-party squabble in 2010, described the probe as "political profiling" to Newsworks last
year.
The $256,000 bill resulted from police overtime during the West Oak Lane Jazz Festival in 2010.
The annual festival was canceled in 2012, following reports questioning the number of attendees
claimed by the OARC. OARC spent $1 million in state funds on the concert in 2010.
The Phillies' debt stems from police overtime during their 2008 World Series run. At $275,000,
it is just over what the Phillies spent on Ryan Howard per game in 2013: $250,000.
Philadelphia Phillies, Other Businesses Owe
City Police $2.5M: Controller
By Vince Lattanzio Tuesday, Aug 12, 2014 • Updated at 1:10 PM EDT
NBC10
Philadelphia's Controller says hundreds of businesses and agencies
owe the city's police force $2.5 million for services they provided
over the past several years.
Near the top of the list is the Philadelphia Phillies, who the controller says owes Philly Police nearly
$276,000 dating back to their World Series run.
Philadelphia Controller Alan Butkovitz said Tuesday that 389 entities haven't paid their tab. Of those, 168
bills are past due by 90 days or more.
Among the top offenders, Butkovitz says, is the Phillies who haven't paid a bill stemming back to Oct. 27,
2008. That was the day of Game 5 of the World Series was played at Citizens Bank Park. The game,
against the Tampa Bay Rays, was postponed because of weather and had to be finished two days later.
Butkovitz says the team owes a total of $275,874.
Ahead of the Phillies, who came in at number two on the list, was the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The state owes $341,328 dating from March 12, 2007, according to the controller's report.
The list also includes a $108,453 bill for the Mann Center from the Performing Arts, a $71,406 bill from
the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and $21,308 owed by Chuck "E" Cheese, the children's
party place. Construction companies, bars and other city agencies also owe money, the report found.
Butkovitz said the city also hasn't done a good enough job at collecting the money. In a letter to
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey and Revenue Commissioner Clarena Tolson, he urged
them to collect the unpaid funds.
"The city must take aggressive actions to pursue all outstanding revenues," he said in a release. "This is
an opportunity for the city to generate more revenues that can pay for essential city services for all
Philadelphians."
NBC10 has reached out for comment from all the entities and is awaiting response.
Aug 12, 2014, 2:43pm EDT
Phillies, other businesses owe city police
$2.5M, says controller
Vince Lattanzio, NBC10
Philadelphia's Controller says hundreds of
businesses and agencies owe the city's police
force $2.5 million for services they provided
over the past several years.
Near the top of the list is the Philadelphia
Phillies, who the controller says owes police
nearly $276,000 dating back to their 2008
World Series runs.
Philadelphia Controller Alan Butkovitz said
Tuesday that 389 entities haven't paid their tab. Of those, 168 bills are past due by 90 days or
more.
Among the top offenders, Butkovitz says, is the Phillies who haven't paid a bill stemming back
to Oct. 27, 2008. That was the day of Game 5 of the World Series was played at Citizens Bank
Park. The game, against the Tampa Bay Rays, was postponed because of weather and had to be
finished two days later.
Read the entire NBC10 story here.