Check this out on the topic of overdue property taxes, from Mayor Patrick McCrory:

“When taxes are not being paid, and we cannot respond, our credibility with the public is impacted,” he said…

Pat is having a conniption over $77K owed by non-profits that never had any money at the same time a multi-billion dollar real investment trust still owes the city and county over $450,000 in real and person property taxes for 2008. Anything wrong with this picture?

And the Blake Hotel is far from alone, as we first documented last week. In fact, those large property owners still owe over $1.2 million in back taxes to the city and county in addition to the $450K overdue on the Blake.

Interestingly, the owners of Uptown Courtyard Marriott on South Tryon were allowed to pay a $228K tax bill almost a month late and not incur $4500 in interest penalties. Try that if your tax bill is late next year.

Now it is time to add some new big names to the tax deadbeat list as evidently we’re the only ones willing to do it. Both real and personal property, which means inventories in some of these cases:

That’s another $1.98 million owed. Added to the previous $1.65m., we’re talking over $3.5 million due. Of that number figure over $1 million is due the cash-strapped city of Charlotte. But wait — as they say on late nite TV — there’s more.

South End Silos and Bryant Park LLCs still owe tax on real estate deals, the latter the recipient of city subsidy. Abortive EpiCenter condo developer Flaherty & Collins still owes more than the tax bill run up by the non-profits — $83K. And EpiCenter developer Afshin Ghazi, who received a $550K grant from the city in connection with that project, still owes almost $20K via his New York Ave LLC.

Any way you look at it, city and county officials have more than a credibility problem on overdue taxes — there is a basic question of competence, fairness, and functionality. Welcome to the fight Mr. Mayor, responsible taxpayers need all the help they can get.