Emilia Teasdale is reporting for The Columbia Paper the Chatham Village Board announced August 17, the village owes the Internal Revenue Service more than $52,000 in unpaid payroll taxes, penalties and interest fees. According to a statement issued by village attorney Ken Dow, the issues with the IRS include some past tax payments, including payroll taxes, owed by the village remain outstanding. “These statements show a balance of $52,104.07 in actual taxes that the IRS indicates should have been paid…. Village Accountant [Robert] Patterson advises us that to his knowledge, those funds were not missing, but would have been held in the agency account for payroll and disbursements.” The statement continued: “In addition, however, the village is also required to pay interest charges of $2,333.36, which our accountant has advised cannot be waived by the IRS. The statements further identify penalties imposed upon the village, in the amount of $22,986.88, which the village is requesting to have waived.” Of the total owed, the board’s statement says, “Much of this has now been paid.” Patterson is now conducting a review of village records going back over a period of two years. Dow said at the board meeting last week, “the village is taking its duties seriously to make sure everything is in order.” He also stressed that “Nobody is trying to cover anything up.” Patterson was appointed village treasurer, effective September 5. He currently serves as the village accountant. Former village treasurer Barbara Henry resigned in July, citing family obligations and other job commitments. Henry was hired as village administrator in 2012. She became the clerk/treasurer in 2014 and was appointed treasurer in 2017. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.