Franklin County's commissioners and its Republican chairman want the county auditor to resign because she has stopped coming to work, resulting in a $4,000 fine from the Internal Revenue Service.
Franklin County Auditor Erica Hudson began appearing infrequently for work over the summer and has become nearly unreachable by telephone, County Commission President Tom Wilson told the Connersville News-Examiner for a story Wednesday.
"She hasn't been to the office in over a month," Wilson said. "She hasn't had any communication with the office."
She instructed her staff to leave office mail unopened on her desk, Wilson said.
"The mail had something from the (IRS) about a tax problem and now the county got fined $4,000 because she didn't take care of it," Wilson said.
The tax problem involved Hudson not sending the correct paperwork with a county payroll tax deduction payment. The IRS returned the payment with paperwork detailing the reason for its rejection, he said. It sat unnoticed on her desk for almost a month, Wilson said.
Commissioners approved a motion Monday seeking to recover the $4,000 from Hudson and saying Hudson's recent behavior constituted neglect of her office, Wilson said.
"It's malfeasance of her office. (Voters) elected her to do a job. She should be in here doing it," he said.
Hudson was elected in 2010.
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State law requires county auditors to live in the county they serve. If an auditor moves out of the county, she forfeits the office.
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