Clinton County Fiscal Court, meeting in special session last Thursday afternoon, November 7, opted to pay off the back IRS bills that totaled out to $159,152.55.

The fiscal court learned of the back tax debt to the IRS due to benefits such as withholdings not being made over the past years, back early in the year and have already paid some hefty amounts on some of the back dues owed.

County Treasurer Cindy Thrasher has been working with Congressman James Comer’s office on the situation and informed the court that the final tax bill, noted above, would pay off the debt if paid by the following day–Friday, November 8.

She also said later she could provide the breakdown on balances due for each type of debt owed that brought it to that amount.

Clinton County Judge/Executive Ricky Craig pointed out that the back IRS tax bills were for the years of 2015 through 2018.

The court voted unanimously on a motion by magistrate Mickey Riddle to pay the IRS debt in full. This is for payroll withholdings debt from January 2015 through December 2018.

The back tax debt, it was noted by magistrates, would put the county in a financial bind, but there was not choice but to pay the bills.

The court also approved several other transfers. On a motion by magistrate Gary Ferguson, they approved a transfer from the Occupation Tax Fund checking account to the Jail checking account of $20,000; from the OTF to Ambulance checking of $20,000; and OTC checking account to general account of $10,000, all for payroll funds through November 15.

The court also voted to transfer $10,000 from the Occupational Tax fund to the general account to pay election personnel for the past general election.

On a motion by magistrate Terry Buster, the court voted to transfer $248,650.08 from the general account to the road fund checking account. Thrasher noted this was due to a Kentucky Finance Direct Deposit error on account numbers that were deposited on October 21 for road aid.

They also voted to transfer $6,328.84 from the Jail checking account to the general account due to fiscal year deposits made incorrectly per an AOC audit for court facilities fees, once on August 23, 2018 in the amount of $2,835 and a second on October 10, 2018 in the amount of $3,493.84.

The next regular meeting of Clinton County Fiscal Court will be held Thursday, November 21 at 5 p.m. in the upstairs courtroom of the courthouse and is open to the general public.