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VIENNA -- Township officials began looking at possible scenarios to generate revenue prior to any finalization of their financial recovery plan.
Trustee Mike Haddle, a member of the township's fiscal commission, presented five scenarios showing different combinations of recovery items to trustees -- all featuring some variation of a new fire department replacement levy or the speed cameras -- at a trustees meeting Tuesday.
Haddle said the fifth scenario -- a replacement fire levy passing, all regular levies being renewed and speed cameras staying until the end of 2028 -- makes the most sense, a conclusion he reached while speaking to other members of the commission.
"The projected forecast is that bad, that without those measures, we're going to be in fiscal distress past 2028," Haddle said. "With these measures in place, we can be out of it a bit earlier."
"If we do nothing, probably past 2030, we're still in fiscal distress; at least 2030," he added.
Trustee Phil Pegg emphasized the importance of funneling money to the road department, noting they're behind on paying for their portion of paving Smith Stewart Road West.
IRS ISSUES
Pegg said one of the things that has recently come up via the Ohio Revised Code is that Linda McCullough, the township's former fiscal officer, holds responsibility for paying Social Security and IRS penalties and fines the township owes.
"(The) state of Ohio says we're not allowed to pay for any of those; the problem comes in with the Social Security and the feds," Pegg said. "Because they say that federal law overrides the state law, they're wanting us to pay those fines, penalties and other things."
Pegg said they've been in touch with U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, to seek some sort of freeze on the miscellaneous charges, as they keep doubling.
Haddle said those penalties were factored into the township's recovery plan at a "low-end" of $150,000, as they had to be figured in somehow. Getting past them will be a priority in 2025, he added.
The township owes roughly $55,000 in IRS fines, Haddle said in response to township resident Jaqueline Sage's question regarding their accruement. The fees are a quarterly charge and vary based on what taxes were paid in each quarter.
While he didn't have an exact total, he said the township owed $19,000 through the first quarter and $35,000 in the second.
Haddle said he'd like to have the trustees' suggestions submitted to the fiscal commission by Dec. 16, which is its next meeting.