Mayoral candidate Hugh Wheeler sued for back taxes

PORT CLINTON — The city’s tax department filed a small claims complaint against mayoral candidate Hugh Wheeler for unpaid income taxes, a move that Wheeler said he feels was political.

“In my opinion, the only reason it went to small claims court was so that (Mayor Vince Leone) could talk about it,” Wheeler said.

According to the complaint filed in Ottawa County Municipal Court, Wheeler failed to pay $39 in 2008 and $349 in 2014 for Port Clinton income taxes. When combined with more than $500 in back interest from 2008 and other penalties, the total claim amounted to $939.

Within a week of the Aug. 21 filing, Wheeler paid the amount in full and the case was dismissed Aug. 27.

Wheeler told the News Herald he had a previous arrangement with the city to pay his income taxes every month and it was not until he decided to run for mayor that this became an issue.

“They sent me something every month, and I paid it every month,” Wheeler said. “Until I decided to run for mayor, then they didn’t like it.”

According to municipal court records, at least 14 other “taxes owed” claims were filed by Port Clinton on Aug. 21. More were filed the following week.

Leone described the case as “typical policy.”

For tax payment plans with the city, whenever payments are missed, the tax department is automatically notified and the tax commissioner, Shelly Stively, provides a list to the court system to file in small claims.

“This is the way it’s always been,” Leone said. “After you’ve been put on a payment plan, if you miss your payment — even by just one day — the tax department files with small claims, just that quick.”

Wheeler said that Leone Construction also had back taxes that went unpaid.

However, the only lawsuit found on record in the county against Leone Construction dates back to 2003 in common pleas court. Ohio’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation filed a complaint for $234 against the company on July 22, 2003, and a judgment lien was made Aug. 25, 2003. The case has since been closed.

The court’s online docket incorrectly lists the file date as May 29, 2015, a mistake caused when the court upgraded its computer database this summer.

Leone said the only thing he could “remotely remember” from that long ago was either having some sort of incorrect numbers or having forgotten to file something, but “they sent me a bill and I paid it.”

jstinchcom@gannett.com

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Twitter: @JonDBN