BY GREGORY A. HALL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON -- A city commissioner has paid off several years' worth of delinquent city and Kenton County occupational license taxes. Jim Eggemeier, who is seeking re-election, blamed the overdue taxes on personal negligence and a change in accountants.
"I want to apologize if this brings any discredit to the city of Covington or any of my colleagues on the city commission," Mr. Eggemeier said Tuesday.
Mr. Eggemeier paid four years' worth of the county occupational license tax Monday, said Larry Klein, county license inspector. The amount could not be released by the county because the tax is based on net profits, and that information is confidential.
Mr. Eggemeier paid eight years' worth of city occupational license taxes Monday, seven of which were late, city accountant Bob Reinecke said. Returns for the last four years (1994-97) were filed in January. Returns for the previous four years (1990-1993) were filed in January 1996.
"We've been working with him for quite a few years to get this resolved," Mr. Reinecke said.
Mr. Eggemeier said he switched accountants after filing the first batch of returns with the city in 1996.
"I just really didn't have my records together," Mr. Eggemeier said. "I put them all together and took care of the situation, and paid any tax due along with the normal penalty and interest."
Mr. Eggemeier said what impact this has on his candidacy remains to be seen. He is one of 10 candidates in the May 26 primary. Eight will advance to the November general election.
He was the top vote-getter in the last commissioner election. "Obviously, it doesn't fare well, and it wasn't me trying to avoid the taxes. It was just that I didn't have the information together in order to file the returns," Mr. Eggemeier said.
"Maybe in hindsight, it would have been better to have just gone ahead and paid the minimum tax due and then just filed the returns later."
Mr. Eggemeier, in his 13th year in office, said he hopes voters will look at his record overall and not this incident.
