City Relents On Collecting Tax Assessment That Violates Religious Beliefs of Hindu Woman

The city of Evanston, Illinois has decided that it will no longer press a Hindu woman and her mother for a $635 tax bill reflecting an assessment that the woman says violates her religious beliefs. At issue is the removal of a box elder tree that stands mostly on common property of Padma Rao's condominium.  She says that her Hindu religion prohibits the needless killing of any living thing. (See prior posting.) Yesterday's Evanston Review reports that a city attorney now says the city is in the process of removing Rao from the delinquent tax notification list it sends the county.