Ohio Attorney General\u2019s Office news<\/i><\/p>\n
TOLEDO — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has announced that nearly $2 million has been returned to local governments through his Local Government Collection Services Program. The program, which went\u00a0statewide\u00a0last year,\u00a0allows local governments to enter into agreements with the Attorney General’s Office to collect unpaid debt on their behalf.<\/p>\n
“The economic downturn we all experienced in recent years put a strain on many local budgets,” said DeWine. “Offering the infrastructure of the Attorney General’s Office to help return money owed to local governments only makes sense, and I am pleased to offer this service to communities across Ohio.”<\/p>\n
The Ohio Attorney General’s Collection Enforcement Section serves as the chief collection agent for all state agencies, boards, commissions, and universities.\u00a0The Local Government Collection Services Program began as a pilot between the Attorney General’s Office and Lucas County Clerk of Courts in 2008, and DeWine expanded the program statewide in 2012.<\/p>\n
Currently, the Attorney General’s Office has agreements to collect debt on behalf of 34 local government entities. To date, the program has returned $1,927,228 to local governments.<\/p>\n
Utilizing the program can allow local governments to offset a debtor’s state tax refund, \u00a0lottery winnings, or casino winnings to recover the debt owed.\u00a0Because the program is funded by collection costs passed to the debtor, the program bears no additional cost to local governments.<\/p>\n