WASHINGTON - Councilman Marion Barry and his staff are refusing to answer questions related to his taxes.

A published report over the weekend indicated Barry planned to pay $4,200 of back taxes owed to the D.C. government on Monday. Barry staffers refused Monday to say if the report was accurate.

Barry owes the city an undisclosed sum and the IRS $277,000, including interest and penalties, according to court documents.

Barry is due back in court April 16 as he fights prosecutors' efforts to have him jailed for his repeated failures to file his tax returns on time in eight of the last nine years. Barry did not file his 2007 tax returns until February of 2009.

"He's been skating on a lot of things because he's Marion Barry," said John Taylor, who lives in Barry's ward. "Everybody else has got to pay their dues."

"I think some of the older citizens who have lived here a long time still love him," said Ward 8 resident Rodney Brooks. I don't have anything against him. I just think a public official should set a higher example."

"If the penalty for not paying back taxes is jail time then that's what needs to happen," added Carrie Kelly.

Barry has blamed his tax problems on his need to undergo dialysis. He recently underwent a kidney transplant and has suffered some complications since surgery. He was released from the hospital Wednesday.

But few are sympathetic.

"A lot of people have health problems but they still pay their taxes," said Brooks.

Prosecutors we're sympathetic, either. Assistant U.S.Attorney Thomas Zeno called Barry's claim "thoroughly unconvincing", noted Barry's "illness did not prevent him from filing his tax returns immediately" after prosecutors tried to have him jailed, "even though his operation was less than two weeks away."

If Barry is not sent back to jail, prosecutors asked the judge to extend his probation by two years. The probation was set to expire this spring.

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