Ohio’s interim development director from Cortland resigns

COLUMBUS (AP) — Gov. Ted Strickland’s interim development director has stepped down suddenly after public revelations that he owed tens of thousands of dollars in back taxes.

Mark Barbash of Cortland has been on the job about three months. He issued a statement on his resignation today after Columbus Business First cited public records showing Barbash owes $146,313 in back taxes, penalties and fees to the Internal Revenue Service.

The IRS filed tax liens against Barbash in mid-April, the newspaper reports.

Barbash is the second agency director to resign in six months. Strickland’s human services director, Helen Jones-Kelley, resigned in December.