Two former fiscal officers for the village of Belle Center are facing substantial penalties from the Ohio Auditor of State totaling over $15,000 that are the result of disorganized bookkeeping and untimely report submissions to the IRS.
Findings for recovery were announced Tuesday in the amount of $15,814 against the former village officials stemming from fees charged for late tax and retirement remittances.
The bulk of the recovery, amounting to $15,759, is directed at former fiscal officer Rhonda Fitzpatrick and her bonding company. The charges include penalties and interest levied by the IRS due to untimely report submissions in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
An additional finding for recovery, totaling $55, was issued against former fiscal officer William McCormick. These charges are linked to penalties and interest incurred from late remittances to the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System.
The audit points out the unnecessary nature of these costs, stressing that they did not serve a proper public purpose and could have been avoided had the funds been paid by the required due dates.
The findings for recovery were part of an audit of the village’s finances from Jan. 1, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2022.