Warner Robins leaders provide clarification on IRS tax issues

Warner Robins Mayor Randy Toms and City Administrator David Corbin gave an update on the IRS tax lien and levy the city is facing.

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Warner Robins Mayor Randy Toms and City Administrator David Corbin gave an update on the IRS tax lien and levy the city is facing.

The IRS placed a nearly $800,000 lien for reporting issues relating to the Affordable Care Act earlier this month.

“You don’t know for a number of years that this may not have been accurate, may not have even been correct,” Corbin said. “But the minute we found out, we started addressing the issue. Mayor and council basically told me to go get it done.”

Corbin also says a $423,000 tax levy occurred. He says the IRS mistakenly took money from the city’s account twice, but Corbin says they got that money back.

He believes the city filed correct paperwork and says they’re working with the IRS to resolve the issue.

“We’ve got the reporting items straightened out,” he said. “We’ve got the payroll process figured out so that this never happens again.”

Mayor Toms believes the issue will be resolved. His opponent in the mayor’s race, LaRhonda Patrick, attended the press conference.

Mayor Toms had strong words for Patrick and former councilman Tim Thomas. Both claimed council knew about some of the IRS issues in 2018.

“They have used this to hurt me politically and to hurt the reputation of the city,” Toms said. “And they should be ashamed of themselves. I call on the voters to reject this fake narrative of these blatantly vengeful tactics.”

Patrick says she was disappointed with the press conference. She noted that Corbin said Mayor Toms was made aware of the tax levy previously. She says it’s unacceptable it was never discussed in city council meetings.

“It should have been discussed,” she said. “We should have been made aware of it. We should have acted according to the notices that the city received on numerous occasions before the levy ever occurred and before the lien ever occurred.”

Corbin says he believes the tax issues won’t effect the city’s double A credit rating, but Patrick believes the rating will decrease when it updates.