Bulan, 37, said he had no knowledge of the unpaid taxes before being asked about the situation by the Review on Oct. 10. The first-time Coastside candidate said he holds multiple mortgages and employs an accountant to maintain his finances.
Bulan paid the overdue taxes on the day he was contacted by the Review. County records now show him paid in full.
 Richard Bulan |
County tax records showed that Bulan, who bought his Moss Beach home in June of 2005, skipped three out of four payments over the past two years. He had neglected to pay assessments in December of 2005 and April of 2006. He made one payment in December but again missed the April payment this year.
Bulan learned of the delinquent taxes hours before participating in a candidate forum hosted by the Midcoast Community Council and the League of Women Voters in Moss Beach. Bulan is the lone challenger hoping to acquire one of two open seats on the district board. The two incumbents hoping to hold onto their seats are Scott Boyd and Kathryn Slater-Carter.
In his campaign materials and in his endorsement interview with the Review editorial board last month, Bulan said his motivation for seeking the position stemmed from frustration with MWSD on everything from overzealous permit requirements to stains on his porcelain that he claimed were caused by the system's leaching pipes. Bulan's campaign materials also feature a bold headline that reads, "MWSD ignores financial responsibilities."
Review staff learned about the situation from an anonymous letter sent to the paper's offices on Oct. 10. A reporter vetted the information through the county tax collector's office.
Efforts to identify the anonymous tipster have been unsuccessful. Both Boyd and Slater-Carter denied sending the information to the Review. The paper also checked the incumbents' tax records and found that they are current and paid in full.
Reached a few business days after the fallout, Bulan continued to point to errors made by his accountant, who works at his mortgage lending business, Clock Tower Financial in Pacifica. Ultimately though, he said he accepts responsibility for the slow payment.
"It's just an accounting error on my part," Bulan said.
When asked why such an accounting error was made more than once over two years, Bulan cited the complexity of his real estate holdings. He said his preliminary examination of tax records for his other properties seemed to indicate a surplus, or double-payment, elsewhere.
"I have nine other properties, and I'm still kind of looking into what transpired," Bulan said. "But it's starting to look like I overpaid some place else and it was credited to the wrong account."
Bulan doesn't believe this financial gaffe should influence his run as an MWSD candidate.
"Just because I made a late payment doesn't mean I don't know how to manage stuff. It doesn't mean I'm evading taxes or anything. If I've done anything, I've paid more than my fair share," Bulan said.
He also said that his platform "is not just finance" but "the ability to get things done."
"I delegate a lot," Bulan said. "That's one of the things I do is trust my people. I don't think you can get ahead without that ability."
He said he will not fire the accountant who he credits with making the wrong payments or no payments at all, calling it "an honest mistake."
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