Article: L.A. looks to expand collection plate; businesses urge city to hit up deadbeats.(GOVERNMENT)(Los Angeles, California)

Faced with huge budget deficits and several hundred million dollars in uncollected bills, Los Angeles city officials are cracking down on businesses that owe fees or back taxes.

Perhaps paradoxically, the push comes at the behest of a local business group. The logic: If the city collects back taxes, it may be less inclined to raise taxes on businesses or cut services.

What's more, local collection agencies could score big, as the city plans to contract out the extra work to L.A.-area firms. The city's Office of Finance already is adding companies to its roster of outside collection contractors and is proposing several more as part of a pilot program that ...

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