More News

Two Montgomery County Council members owe thousands in unpaid taxes, according to Montgomery County Circuit Court records.

The records show that council President Valerie Ervin (D-Dist. 5) of Silver Spring owes $4,746.21 to Maryland in unpaid taxes, interest and fees between 2007 and 2009. The state issued a lien for the taxes May 2.

The unpaid taxes total $3,545.42, and $988 has accrued in interest. The state also has assessed a $212.35 penalty.

Records also show that Councilman Craig L. Rice (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown owes $5,717.99 to Maryland in unpaid taxes, interest and fees from 2007. A lien was issued for the full amount Oct. 6, records show.

Rice, whose wife, Tineshia, also is listed on the documents, owes $12,410 in unpaid federal taxes, also from 2007, Internal Revenue Service documents show. On Nov. 29, a lien was issued for the full amount.

On Tuesday, Rice, who described the matter as a tax dispute, said he could not comment because he is represented by an attorney. A call to Rice's attorney, David De Jong, was not returned by deadline.

Ervin said she knew that she owed about $1,000 in unpaid taxes from 2009, but said she was already making payments to the state comptroller's office to settle the issue. However, she is unsure what money she owed from 2007, Ervin said Tuesday.

"I'm working it out with them," she said. "I'm trying to figure out what it is."

Ervin said she was told that because she was resolving the issue with the state it would not be made public.

"This is being taken care of," she said.

ecunningham@gazette.net