The city has successfully appealed an $83,000 IRS fine and will recoup the money, according to the mayor.

“With the help of Gail Kezer from Senator Angus King’s Office and the Maine Taxpayer Advocate Service, we were recently notified the IRS has accepted the appeal we have been working on and will be returning the fine assessed in full plus interest later this month for a total of $84,699.45,” Mayor Mike Foley said.

Foley said he “was very excited to receive this news for the city.”

The fine was the result of the city human resources department’s failure to meet a 2018 deadline to file a report proving its compliance with the Affordable Care Act, City Administrator Jerry Bryant said previously. The city did submit the report and met all the requirements “but because of the lateness of it, the city was subject to the fine by the IRS,” he said. 

Foley said checks and balances have been put in place to ensure such deadline mistakes don’t happen again.

“To get that money back is a huge win,” City Council President Gary Rairdon said at an April 5 City Council meeting.