ELTON, La. (KPLC) – The financial issues involving the town of Elton have taken another turn. This time, it’s affecting town employees.
Earlier this week, 7News learned the town of Elton must pay back taxes to the IRS.
Interim Mayor Mike Pierrotti confirmed federal payroll taxes were not paid by the town between January 2023 and when he took office in May. Pierrotti believed it was a municipal problem and that employees wouldn’t have any issues.
“I don’t feel like anyone would be affected,” Pierrotti said.
However, 7News has since received multiple calls from former town employees who say their tax refunds are being withheld.
“It’s like I’m under investigation when all I did was go to work and do what they told me to do. I trusted them with my money,” former Elton Police Officer Natasha Murphy said.
Murphy said she worked for the town as a police officer for a year and thought her taxes were being paid to the federal government. She even showed 7News her paystubs, which showed federal tax was taken out of her checks.
This year, Murphy filed her taxes and looked forward to getting her money back, but that money never came.
“I got my number everything was good, but it kept saying it was under review,” Murphy said.
However, the letter Murphy received from the IRS said that no taxes were ever paid. She had to get the tax advocacy group involved, and that’s where she finally got an answer.
“She basically said that my taxes are being held up because, at the IRS’s end, I never paid federal taxes since working at the Elton Police Department,” said Murphy.
Additionally, Murphy has traveled to Baton Rouge multiple times to attempt to get things resolved and is now seeking help from an attorney.
7News also spoke with another employee who said he has been traveling to the State Capitol to try to figure out his federal taxes. He asked to remain anonymous.
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