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Tax collections

March 4, 2010

Lake Twp. collector under fire

County officials say Donna Kocher needs bond coverage and has paperwork overdue from 2009.

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter
Jennifer Learn-Andes on Facebook   |   @TLJenLearnAndes on Twitter

Lake Township’s property taxes won’t be issued until tax collector Donna Kocher obtains bond coverage and submits overdue paperwork from 2009, Luzerne County officials said Wednesday.

Tax collectors must be bonded to protect the school district, county and municipality if money is stolen or missing.

Jack Crossin Real Estate & Insurance sent the county a letter in December indicating that Kocher’s request for a bond renewal in 2010 was denied because of a bad credit report. Kocher’s coverage ended on Jan. 2.

County Controller Walter Griffith said Kocher is the only tax collector who has not provided evidence of bond coverage for 2010. She has also failed to balance her books from 2009, despite repeated requests from Sam Manta, who monitors tax collection, Griffith said.

Griffith said Manta expressed concerns about Kocher’s failure to comply with requests as soon as Griffith took office in January.

“He’s been asking the question for two years, and the leadership refused to act on it,” Griffith said.

Griffith said he will subpoena Kocher to obtain information if she does not comply.

Kocher said she has secured other bonding insurance on her own and denied that she was required to do so because her renewal was not approved.

“They didn’t cancel it on me. I chose another company,” she said.

Kocher said it’s not her responsibility to notify the county that she has coverage, but Griffith and other tax collectors say that’s blatantly false.

Tax collectors say the bonding company gives them a copy of an approved bond with a raised seal, and this original document must be filed with the county along with a $10 fee. These bond documents are then recorded in the county Clerk of Courts Office.

Taxing bodies pay different portions of the bond premium.

The county won’t print bills in a municipality if there is no bonded tax collector, county officials said.

The amount of bond coverage is based on the maximum amount of money held by each tax collector at one time, tax collectors say.

Lake-Lehman School Board members recently publicly discussed a 2008 audit that indicated Kocher was late turning over taxes.

County officials have also questioned the township’s poor tax-collection rate.

Kocher said Wednesday that she has sufficiently performed her job and sees no reason for criticism.

Jennifer Learn-Andes, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7333.

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