VIENNA — With a better understanding of certain fees and fines imposed against the township in hand, trustees are ready to take action against one of their former fiscal officers.

Trustee Phil Pegg reported at Monday’s meeting that officials obtained the IRS letters detailing the fines and penalties Jason Miner, who served as the township’s fiscal officer from December 2024 to November 2025, owes — completing the information they need for a civil case.

“In Ohio Revised Code, we’re not allowed to pay late fees, penalties — things of that nature; that’s part of the fiscal officer’s job,” Pegg said. “As many of you know, the fiscal officer does not work with the trustees. The fiscal officer works for the auditor of state, Keith Faber.”

Pegg said Miner failed to make payments to the IRS, OPERS and the Bureau of Workers’ Comp, as well as unemployment penalties.

“We have a total list that’s been compiled, and that list comes out to $5,616.94, plus the legal fees, which can be recovered because it’s a civil case,” Pegg said. “That case should be filed this week.”

Pegg said a similar suit will be filed against their other former fiscal officer, Linda McCullough.

McCullough, who served as the township’s fiscal officer from 2019 to early 2024, is serving an eight-year prison sentence at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville following a sentence imposed by Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Cynthia Westcott for seven counts of tampering with records and two counts of theft in office.

“It’s going to be considerably larger; we’re still waiting for letters from the IRS in Linda’s case,” Pegg said. “We’ve still got a few things to get put together, and that will get filed as soon as we receive those letters.”

Pegg thanked U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, for helping to put a pause on the compounding of interest on the township’s fines, adding that they’ve been current for “quite some time.”

“The outstanding penalties, service charges, things of that nature; those former fiscal officers are responsible for that, and it’s right in the Ohio Revised Code,” Pegg said. “We are working to recoup that money; this money won’t be ours, it’s not township money.”

Joyce represents the 14th District, which covers all of Trumbull County.

Pegg said the money collected by both former fiscal officers will go to the assorted fines accrued, adding that they need a final number before the cases could be filed.

MINER’S RESPONSE

Miner said he plans to respond promptly and without issue when the auditor of state conducts its audit and determines a finding for recovery is in order, but added that it’s the job of that office, not the township, as they issue such things when they find an expenditure and classify it.

Miner said the threat of legal action was Pegg’s attempt to look like the “hero he thinks he is in his own mind.”

“Don’t forget that Phil oversaw and voted yes on overspending over $1 million worth of taxpayer funds,” Miner said. “During my tenure in Vienna, Phil was an obstructionist whose only agenda was protecting himself.”

“Just as I said at the time of my resignation, Phil Pegg thinks he’s a king and is the real threat to the recovery in Vienna,” Miner added.