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COLUMBIA -- With just days remaining until Columbia voters choose their first new mayor in two decades Tuesday, the race has begun to turn dirty.

WACH Fox was provided documents Friday from an anonymous source that allege mayoral candidate Kirkman Finlay owes back taxes to Richland County.

Copies of the tax records apparently indicate Finlay owes roughly $3,000 for the 2006 tax year on the Rising High Bread Company stores he formerly operated across the Midlands. The documents also show several hundred dollars in back taxes on several properties owned by Finlay.

“This is troubling. None of us are perfect, but considering how often Councilman Finlay has spoken on the need to bring fiscal accountability to City Hall, I would have expected better from him," said mayoral candidate Steve Benjamin.

Finlay spoke exclusively to WACH Fox Friday afternoon and said he is unaware of owing any back taxes. The councilman provided a February tax receipt from the Richland County Treasurer issuing a $72.52 refund to his Rising High company. 

According to Finlay, his company paid several hundred thousand dollars in taxes to Richland County during the past four years. He said it wouldn't make sense to intentionally leave out $3,000 while paying that much.

"Everything has been paid for 2007, 2008 and 2009. Why would I leave two bills out there unpaid," said Finlay.

Finlay said while he does not think he owes any additional tax, if it turns out he does he will pay them.

While stopping short of openly accusing his opponent of being behind the leaked documents, Finlay said the timing is suspicious.

"I was told today by a member of my staff who had spoken to [the] Richland County office that Benjamin's camp has been out digging through this [tax records]," said Finlay.

Meanwhile, Benjamin is also the target of an anonymous attack during the campaign's last days. 

A YouTube video sent to WACH Fox Friday shows a "party bus" outside the Benedict College campus transporting students to the county voter registration office. WACH Fox spoke with several students Friday who said Benjamin campaign workers have been a regular presence at the school buying food and drinks for students in an attempt to get them to register.

The Benjamin campaign has yet to issue a response to the video.

Benjamin and Finlay square off Tuesday in the city's mayoral run-off election.  The winner will replace outgoing Mayor Bob Coble, who has held the seat for more than 20 years.