WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — On Tuesday, Warner Robins will decide whether to elect Randy Toms for a third term or to make his challenger, LaRhonda Patrick, the city's first Black female mayor.
But before voters decide, Toms held a second press conference to discuss the IRS tax lien against the city.
City administrator David Corbin said people need to know the context. He says the city does not owe back taxes and says the liens would not affect the city's bond rating. Corbin says it's double A, which is strong.
According to city records, Warner Robins has already paid more than $420,000 to the IRS for failure to file proper records. The federal agency wants them to pay another $370,000. Corbin says city lawyers hope the IRS will eventually cancel that.
In a letter to Toms this month, Corbin wrote that the city made “multiple reporting errors" to the IRS and that was not acceptable. Corbin said he, the Mayor and council were aware of the tax problems but he decided not to go public with the news.
During the conference, Toms took the time to address his opponent Larhonda Patrick.
"My opponent and the people working for her, a former mayor and a former council member, have been feeding misinformation to the press. They have used this to hurt me politically and to hurt the reputation of the city and they ought to be ashamed of themselves. I call on the voters to reject this fake narrative and these blatantly vengeful tactics. If they do it to me, they will do it to you," Toms said.
Patrick says this is just Toms' strategy before the runoff.
"Absolutely, I believe that this was strategic. It was absolutely strategic to try to get one last note in here for his campaign, again, which is ran on untruths. Everything I have found is based on facts and facts can’t be disputed. So that was an attempt for him to try and gain people on his side," Patrick said.
In the municipal election, Toms and Patrick were split by only 93 votes.
On Tuesday, Warner Robins voters will pick between Toms and Patrick in a runoff election.
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
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