Latest news with #Treasurer'sOffice
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hope Scholarship board says voucher can't be used on ammunition, witchcraft herbs, animals and more
The Hope Scholarship is clarifying how students can use the money for education expenses after parents asked to purchase ammunition, live animals, witchcraft herbs and a cauldron. (Aristide Economopoulos for NJ Monitor) West Virginia's school voucher program, the Hope Scholarship, is clarifying how students can use the money for education expenses after parents asked to purchase ammunition, gaming consoles, live animals, witchcraft herbs and more through the program. 'We had the request for witchcraft herbs and a cauldron,' said Amy Willard, assistant treasurer for the Hope Scholarship Program, at a May 16 scholarship board meeting. The request was denied. The Hope Scholarship, which launched four years ago, provides roughly $4,900 per student in tax-payer funds to be used for private schooling tuition, homeschooling, microschools and more. Around 11,000 students used the program during the 2024-25 school year. Parents who utilize the Hope Scholarship for homeschooling use a portal to purchase a wide range of educational materials, like curriculums, iPads, water tables, bee keeping materials under $200 and more from vendors. Parents are permitted to use the money for horseback riding lessons and dance studio fees. Hope Scholarship funds are not sent to the parents. Carrie Hodousek, communications director for the State Treasure's Office, said some items are pre-approved and don't require a manual review by the board. Other items are reviewed by an individual or multiple individuals either in the Treasurer's Office and/or the Office's contracted program manager, she explained. 'These items are brought to the board for approval or disapproval,' she said. On May 16, the Hope Scholarship Board issued an updated list of unallowable expenses based on parents' requests. Along with witchcraft herbs, live animals and ammunition, the board said the funds may not be used on these additional items and more: travel sports fees; household furniture, including desks and couches; virtual reality equipment; athletic equipment in excess of $500; medications and supplements; chicken brooders; heat lamps and chicken coops in excess of $400. 'In none of these instances were these items successfully purchased without authorization from the board,' Hodousek said. 'If items are placed on the non-qualifying expense list, it means that the Treasurer's Office did not allow those purchases to go through and then requested guidance from the Hope board as to whether they should be permissible expenses,' she added. The Hope Scholarship program is expected to grow to 50,000 students by 2026, and the price tag has already raised concerns among the GOP-led Legislature, who largely back the program as part of their school choice push. Lawmakers recently approved $97 million for the Hope Scholarship for the upcoming school year — up from this year's $58 million in funding for the program. It was the largest funding increase requested by Gov. Patrick Morrisey in his first budget proposal. In 2027, its price tag is expected to skyrocket to around $300 million, when the program will open up to all students in the state. 'We are leaving other vitally necessary programs underfunded because of an increase in this line item,' Del. Elliott Pritt, R-Fayette, said in April as the House debated bills that funded the program. Pritt, a public school teacher, noted the state's public employee's insurance program, which insures teachers, continues to struggle. Democratic lawmakers in the House proposed a bill banning the use of Hope Scholarship funds at out-of-state schools, but the measure wasn't taken up for consideration during the legislative session. More than $122,000 in Hope funds were used at out of state schools last school year. Public school leaders have said the growing number of students using the program has continued to financial issues as the state is facing a wave of school closures. Under the current school funding formula, counties receive state funding based on the number of students. West Virginia is also experiencing an overall population decline. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How to pay Vanderburgh County Property Taxes
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT)- The deadline for spring property tax payments is approaching in Vanderburgh County. The due date for property taxes is next Monday, May 12, and there are a number of ways residents can submit their payments. EVSC superintendent delivers final 'State of the Schools' address Property tax payments can be made online, over the phone, by mail, in person, or by dropping off a payment to the Civic Center drop box. Residents can call the Vanderburgh County Treasurer's Office at (812) 435-5248 or view their bill on the Treasurer's Office's new website. Payments can be made in the following ways: Online : at Payments can be made with a credit card. Over the phone : Call 1-877-690-3729 to pay with any plastic. Use jurisdiction code '2436'. Dropbox: Put in payment using a cashier's check, money order, or check in front of the Civic Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Mail: Payments can be mailed to the Vanderburgh County Treasurer's Office, PO Box 77, Evansville, IN 47701. Payments can be made via cashier's check, money order, or check. Old National Bank: Residents can visit any Tri-State Old National Bank with their original bill to make payments. Visit the Office: Residents can make payments in person by visiting the Treasurer's Office at NW Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Room 210, Evansville, IN 47708. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW).
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Thousands of South Carolinians could recieve a check from the State Treasurer's Office this month. Here's why
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) — More than 3,800 checks will be mailed out to people in South Carolina in the coming weeks as the State Treasurer's Office works to return hundreds of thousands of dollars in unclaimed property. The office has launched a new initiative called 'Palmetto Payback,' which matches qualified unclaimed property to its owner and automatically generates checks without needing to file a claim. The first wave of payments, totaling more than $600,000, is expected to hit mailboxes in the coming days, according to the treasurer's office. 'We want to make it easier for South Carolinians to get their forgotten funds back, putting money directly into their hands,' said Treasurer Curtis Loftis. 'This is about efficiency, accuracy, and ultimately, about serving the people of our state.' The Treasurer's Office, which acts as custodian of the funds until the rightful owners come forward, estimates that one in seven people in South Carolina have unclaimed property, averaging about $500. The office currently has over $950 million available to claim. The Treasurer's Office, which acts as custodian of the funds until the rightful owners come forward, currently has over $950 million available to claim. Student loan default collections resume: What you need to know Businesses transfer millions of dollars to the unclaimed property program each year when the owner of the funds cannot be located. The funds can come from dormant bank accounts, stock certificates, uncashed checks, unclaimed insurance proceeds, and forgotten utility deposits, for example. 'While we are excited to automatically return funds to thousands of South Carolinians, not all unclaimed property can be validated through this special initiative,' Loftis said. All South Carolinians — including those who receive automatic checks — are encouraged to check the treasurer's website to see if missing money might be waiting for them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Geary Co. working to fix tax assessments after ‘miscalculation'
GEARY COUNTY (KSNT) – The Geary County Commission issued a statement Monday informing residents there was a miscalculation in the 2024 tax year assessments. The 2024 tax statements might not show the correct amount owed, according to the Geary County Commission's press release on April 7. Commissioners said people should 'not make payments based on the erroneous figures'. 'We understand receiving an incorrect statement can be confusing, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. The County Clerk's Office, in coordination with the Treasurer's Office, is working diligently to correct the issue.' Geary County Commission press release excerpt The county said the error was due to a miscalculation in the way tax rates were applied to a portion of the tax statement. County Clerk Courtney Gilbert told 27 News that on the assessments, the levy and values were correct, but the tax dollars owed were not. She said the error only impacts residents in Tax Unit #1. Evergy seeks rate hikes and approval for Kansas projects Customers in that tax unit will be receiving tax statements to make up the difference. Gilbert said those residents could owe anywhere from one penny to $70. Revised tax statements will be sent to impacted residents no later than May 1, 2025. 'We commend the County Clerk and Treasurer's Office for taking immediate steps to identify the cause of the miscalculation and their work toward correcting the issue. The accountability shown throughout this process is greatly appreciated, as is the commitment to ensuring that residents receive accurate and fair tax statement.' Geary County Commission press release excerpt For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NC treasurer announces 12-week artificial intelligence pilot
Ronnie Chatterji of OpenAI, NC Treasurer Brad Briner, and Chan Park of OpenAI announce the treasurer's' office is using ChatGPT in a 12-week pilot program. (Photo: Lynn Bonner) The state Treasurer's Office is using ChatGPT in a 12-week artificial intelligence pilot program. State Treasurer Brad Briner said the department is using the OpenAI product to identify businesses with unclaimed property and analyze local government financial data. The office is a repository for unclaimed money from bank accounts, insurance policies and other sources, and seeks to find the people and institutions who own it. The department's State and Local Government Finance Division monitors the fiscal health of local governments and government entities and approves their requests to borrow money. ChatGPT won't replace employees, Briner said, and the agency is using OpenAI's product at no cost. 'Imagine the time saved when ChatGPT can help summarize reports, identify warning signs in local government financial audits, or do deep data searches for unclaimed property,' he said. 'This allows our team of dedicated professionals to focus on higher-level strategic decision making and financial stewardship. ChatGPT is not replacing human expertise. It is augmenting our capabilities and enabling us to make more informed data-driven decisions.' ChatGPT won't have access to private, personal data, Briner said. His office oversees the health plan for state employees. Briner made the announcement at NC Central University, which has an Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Equity Research. Chan Park, head of U.S. and Canada Policy and Partnerships at OpenAI, Ronnie Chatterji, OpenAI's chief economist, and NCCU Provost Ontario Wooden joined Briner at the announcement. Chatterji was once a candidate for state Treasurer and worked for former President Barack Obama. Pennsylvania announced a ChatGPT Enterprise pilot program last year, and Minnesota is using ChatGPT in its translation office. The treasurer and people working at the department have important jobs serving the public, Chatterji said. 'If these tools can help them better deliver those services, and if leaders like Brad have the courage to implement these things, we're going to get better results, and it's going to be a better place to do business,' he said.
