43
The city’s administrative assistant purchasing coordinator accused of failing to pay city income taxes
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
The city’s administrative assistant purchasing coordinator reported to Warren Municipal Court on Thursday, where arrest warrants had been issued for her on five charges.
Kisha Jackson is accused of failing to file city income-tax returns or pay city income taxes.
Because she reported to the court Thursday, the court canceled the arrest warrants and scheduled a 2 p.m. May 27 trial before Magistrate Dan Gerin on the cases.
The misdemeanor charges accuse Jackson, 39, of Tod Avenue Northwest, of failing to file income-tax returns for 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2012 and failing to pay taxes, penalties and/or interest for 2013, according to court documents.
Jackson was hired Feb. 12, 2012, as an executive secretary in the city purchasing department and was promoted to administrative assistant purchasing coordinator July 1, 2014, according to city personnel records. She earns $19.94 per hour.
Warrants were issued for her arrest April 24 as a result of her failing to appear for her April 22 hearing before Magistrate Gerin.
All five charges were filed Sept. 26, 2014, according to court records. She appeared for her arraignment Oct. 9, 2014, pleaded not guilty and was released on a personal recognizance bond.
When contacted Thursday morning at her office in Warren City Hall and asked about the charges and arrest warrant, Jackson said, “I am not going to go into my personal” matters. She said she was hired in 2012 by Enzo Cantalamessa, Warren safety-service director.
Later Thursday morning, when a Vindicator reporter went to the court to obtain copies of the charges, he was told Jackson had come to the court and was talking to Clerk of Courts Peggy Scott.
According to the city’s website, Jackson’s office “is primarily responsible for overseeing the purchasing and all purchasing-related matters” for the city and working closely with the mayor’s office on daily operations, as well as managing city events such as parades, festivals, walks and amphitheater productions.
Tom Gaffney, Warren income tax administrator, who filed the charges against Jackson, said he files 7,000 to 10,000 criminal cases per year for income-tax-related offenses. If Jackson is convicted of any of the offenses, the penalty could be up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $500.