When Bennett entered the U.S. Senate in 1992, he estimated his net worth at $30 million. More recently, he estimated it between $1 million and $5 million. He lost heavily in those years by investing in risky start-up ventures that did not do well.

Much of his current wealth is invested in Watermark Corp., which owns two Anniversary Inns in Salt Lake City. Watermark President Russell Fletcher said the hotels, like much of the hospitality industry, ran into financial trouble after the 9/11 attacks.

Fletcher said the inns did not pay taxes in recent years "because of a variety of reasons: revenue problems, unexpected repair work and administrative issues that occurred before I came on board."

He said Watermark is close to selling off the two inns — and some money from the sale would pay off those back taxes. While Bennett owns about a third of Watermark, Fletcher said any proceeds from sales go to him before other owners because of the way his investments in the company were structured.

Bennett's spokeswoman, Mary Jane Collipriest, said that because of Senate ethics rules, Watermark was set up as a "managed asset trust" for Bennett and he is not allowed to have any day-to-day involvement with its transactions or operations, including whether it chooses to pay taxes on time.

Top delinquents

The Anniversary Inns were the eighth-largest property tax debtor in the county, according to analysis by the Morning News. (See accompanying charts.) The No. 1 delinquent is likely on tax rolls by mistake, according to county officials. Tax rolls show that the University of Utah owes $789,631 in delinquent taxes for a building in Research Park that houses a university clinic. But schools, governments and churches are normally exempt from property tax by law.

Richardson said the county assessor's office has appealed the current assessment of that university building to the Board of Equalization, saying it should be ruled as exempt, which would eliminate the property tax requirement.

Some other government entities also show up on the list of largest debtors, but Richardson said that is not a mistake. Most are listed for properties they own but that are leased by commercial enterprises, such as Salt Lake City-owned airport hangars. Those who lease them must pay "privilege tax." If they pay it late, the government agencies that own them show up on delinquency lists.

Interestingly, the federal government also is on the list for $414,789 in taxes for facilities it owns that were used by Russian missile treaty inspectors at the Alliant rocket plant in Magna. "They have paid that in past years," Richardson said.