When Marion Town Administrator Paul Dawson received a bill to pay for a former town employee’s unemployment, he was surprised to say the least.

The claim was filed with the state by a former town employee who had left his position with the town more than a year ago to take another job, which he has also since left.

Now, Dawson said he is asking Representative William Straus to help him understand why the town is responsible for paying this person’s unemployment claim if the person has not been an employee of the town for more than a year.

“This person left us to take another job. We didn’t fire him. He voluntarily left. Now a year later we’re getting billed. It’s not fair. I don’t think the taxpayers of Marion should be responsible,” Dawson said.

The claim could potentially cost the town $3,144.

“It’s not a huge sum of money, but it’s more than we should be paying. I don’t think it’s legal and something needs to be done about it,” said Dawson.

Marion is a reimbursable employer, which means unemployment claims are filed with the state and the town is given the bill.

Normally Dawson said he is given warning before the state bills the town for a claim, but that did not happen in this case.

“The only notice we got is the bill,” Dawson said. “When I asked the state officials about it, I was told there was no due process here and that I couldn’t request a hearing to determine if the claim was correct.”

Dawson said he is researching the claim with members of Straus’s office to see if the town is legally bound to pay the claim or if he has a case to argue in  court.