From The Charleston Gazette: Members of the Kanawha County (W.Va.) Commission will start requiring that volunteer fire departments submit federal tax forms before giving them grant funds.

County officials recently asked for an audit of the Institute Volunteer Fire Department after a former employee allegedly embezzled more than $20,000 in state and county money.
Officials at the Chesapeake Volunteer Fire Department also agreed to an audit recently.

County commissioners considered making all county fire departments submit to audits if asked by county officials before allowing them to apply for public safety grant funds, but

eventually decided the audits might cost too much money.
Instead, county officials decided to have fire departments submit federal 990 tax forms as a condition of receiving grant money. County officials pass out more than $300,000 a year in public safety grants to the county's more than 20 volunteer and paid fire departments. Most fire departments are required to fill out 990 tax forms anyway.