Headlines 5 February 2025

Finding for recovery of $5,363.96 issued against Elyria Township fiscal officer

COLUMBUS — A finding for recovery of $5,363.96 was issued Tuesday against the fiscal officer for Elyria Township in Lorain County over fees and penalties that resulted from late or duplicate credit card and tax payments.

Stephanie DeWitt and her bonding company are jointly and severally liable for the total, which was identified during an audit of the township’s finances from Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2021.

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

Auditors determined that the township in 2020 and 2021 either failed to make timely payments or made duplicate payments to the Ohio Department of Taxation and the Regional Income Tax Agency, and on credit card balances.

“This repeated failure to remit local and state tax withholdings timely and failure to pay credit card balances timely is considered gross negligence,” auditors noted. “The late fees, penalties, and interest paid by the township… serve no proper public purpose and could have been avoided had the withholdings and credit card statements been paid in a timely manner.”
 

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