In The News 11 January 2025

Finding for recovery of $1,079 issued against South Webster-Bloom Township Joint Fire District

COLUMBUS — A finding for recovery of $1,079 was issued Thursday against the fiscal officer for the South Webster-Bloom Township Joint Fire District in Scioto County over interest and penalties paid for late tax remittances.

Bonnie Hardin and her bonding company are jointly and severally liable for the total, which was included in an audit of the Joint Fire District’s finances from Jan. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2023.

The full report is available online at ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx.

Auditors determined that late tax payments and reports were made to the Internal Revenue Service over four tax years, from 2017 through 2020, resulting in interest and penalties of $1,079.

“This repeated failure to remit federal taxes timely is considered gross negligence,” auditors wrote. “The payment of interest and penalties by the (Joint Fire District) due to the inability of the fiscal officer to make timely payments is not a proper public purpose.”

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