Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
One of the two men running for Bucks County’s highest ranking uniformed law enforcement job owes more than $40,000 to the federal government.
Fred Harran, who currently serves as Bensalem Township’s public safety director, owes $40,153.69 to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and IRS.
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Harran, a Republican, is running against Democrat Mark Lomax in the upcoming election for sheriff.
The tax lien is for the 2014 tax year and was signed in 2018, according to the document filed with the Bucks County Prothonotary’s Office.
Harran told LevittownNow.com he was only made aware of the tax lien when reporters contacted him last week.
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“My accountant is currently working on this, and if there are any issues, they will be addressed immediately,” Harran said, adding his accountant of 10 years had previously not been aware of the issue.
“There was a period of about six years which were very chaotic for my family. My then-wife was entering rehab for the fourth time, causing a great deal of turmoil as well as emotional and financial strain for our family. As you can imagine, raising a young daughter on my own, working full time, and doing my best to support a loved one battling addiction, can cause trauma and certainly financial strain,” he added.
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County records indicated Harran’s Bensalem Township home was in danger of being put up for sheriff’s sale in the middle part of the last decade. He made a payment toward the house.
“We persevered, and any past due bills at that time, including my mortgage, were paid. If a debt is owed, it will be paid immediately, and I will remedy the situation with the IRS,” the Republican candidate said.
Harran earns more than $181,000 per year in his Bensalem Township job, according to public records on GovSalaries.com.
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The sheriff, who is currently outgoing Democrat Milt Warrell, earns $86,000 per year.
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