IRS audit examines cost of new Cleveland County jail

Cleveland said the initial letter from the IRS was addressed to the justice authority's attorney, which is why it is being withheld from the public.

He said the letter asked the authority to provide “about 10 things” as part of the audit.

“Which is … we need to see your bank deposits … we want to see where you spent your money at … who you deposit it with,” the commissioner said. “It was those things.”

Agent visits jail, gets data

The IRS agent, who toured the new jail and county offices in mid-October, also collected bond documents and visited with the jail authority's lawyers.

Dillingham said the county provided the federal agency with “well over a thousand pages” of documents related to the jail's construction.

Questions about tax

Cleveland County residents in 2008 approved a quarter-cent tax to fund repayment of the bond, and the money has been flowing in since then.

Concerned members of the public have questioned what will happen to the “extra” money once the jail is paid off — which is likely going to be very early.

Commissioners have long said that they will end the tax if the jail's debt is paid off.

Dillingham said the IRS inquiry is ongoing and that “a final letter” has not been received from the federal agency.