Tammy Blackwell, the Ansonia Tax Collector placed on leave last week after the mayor said “irregularities” were discovered in her office, intends to retire from the post — but adamantly denies having done anything wrong, a lawyer representing her said Thursday.
The move comes as the city waits on state prosecutors to determine the next step in the investigation of the irregularities.
The probe was prompted by $700 that went unaccounted for at some point last month.
A Jan. 2 letter from Marini to Blackwell released by the city Thursday says that the investigation related to “several irregularities regarding the accounting of funds in the Ansonia Tax Collector’s Office.”
No further details of what prompted the investigation have been disclosed publicly.
The city was informed of Blackwell’s decision through a lawyer representing her labor union, Marini said.
The retirement won’t be binding until she actually files paperwork with the city’s personnel office. That had not yet happened as of Thursday.
The Valley Indy left a message at Blackwell’s home Thursday afternoon.
Lawyer: ‘She Adamantly Denies Any Misconduct’
Her union lawyer, Liz Ditman, confirmed Blackwell’s intention to retire.
But she stressed that Blackwell — who began working for the city in 1990 and was making about $60,000 annually — has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
“Ms. Blackwell does intend to retire, but I want to make very clear, she has not being accused of any misconduct, and she adamantly denies any misconduct,” Ditman said.
The lawyer said Blackwell had been considering retirement “for close to a year now” because she had built up enough service time to retire on normal benefits.
Ditman said Blackwell has been “horribly upset” by speculation about her conduct.
But she said she has advised Blackwell not to speak publicly until the investigation is over — and proves her innocence.
“I certainly hope when this all blows over that she will get an apology,” she said. “It’s a shame because she’s been there since 1990 and she had been extremely loyal to the city.”
Mayor: ‘Let’s See What The Findings Are’
Mayor David Cassetti said Thursday that he had not met or spoken with Blackwell since learning of her decision to retire.
The mayor said he ordered the probe in the interests of transparency, but declined to offer any more specifics about the investigation until it wraps up.
“It’s under investigation,” he said. “Let’s see what the findings are.”
The city’s Aldermen voted Tuesday to authorize the city to pay for a forensic audit — if such an audit is deemed necessary by state prosecutors.
Cassetti said Thursday that he doesn’t think the probe will reveal any malfeasance. But if it does, he said the city will explore any avenues available to recoup its losses.
“If there’s a large amount of money missing and it’s proven, I’m going after the person,” Cassetti said. “But I don’t think it will be.”
Cassetti and Marini said they had not heard from either police or state prosecutors regarding any developments in the probe since the matter was discussed by the city’s Aldermen behind closed doors at their meeting Tuesday.
Prior Problems
Blackwell is the second consecutive tax collector in Ansonia to leave the post amidst an investigation into how the office is run.
Her predecessor, Bridget Bostic, resigned after a Valley Indy investigation revealed she was giving friends, a relative, and city officials receipts for paying car taxes that had not been paid.
It was later revealed that Bostic was secretly allowed to reverse her resignation and retire from Ansonia’s employment.
An internal review of tax office procedures after the Valley Indy story showed that both Bostic and Blackwell processed their own taxes.
The report concluded the practice was ripe for abuse and possibly unethical.
But many of the recommendations from the report had not been adopted a year after Bostic had resigned.
In addition, an interim tax collector hired immediately after Bostic left raised questions about procedures in the office in an October 2015 letter to Cassetti.
Asked if he could reassure taxpayers, Cassetti said he will look out for their best interests.
“I’m their steward and I’m checking to make sure everything’s done properly,” he said. “That’s why I’m doing this investigation.”
The mayor said he will look to hire someone with prior experience as a municipal tax collector — from outside the city — to replace Blackwell.
“We’re looking to go outside and get somebody, somebody that’s got experience, that was a tax collector in the past,” Cassetti said.
The mayor may also seek to increase the job’s minimum qualifications.
’Several Irregularities’
The city released Blackwell’s personnel file Thursday morning in response to a Freedom of Information request from the Valley Indy.
In a letter dated Jan. 2 from Marini to Blackwell, Marini wrote that “several irregularities regarding the accounting of funds in the Ansonia Tax Collector’s Office were brought to the attention of Mayor David S. Cassetti and his staff” on Dec. 28.
“The nature of the irregularities suggests that further review is necessary, particularly in light of this administration’s responsibility to the taxpayers of the city of Ansonia,” the letter said.
Blackwell previously held jobs in the city as a police dispatcher, bookkeeper, and assistant tax collector under Bostic.
She received a glowing 2013 performance review from Richard Bshara, then the head of the city’s finance department, with “excellent” ratings in every category rated.
A year later William Nimons, at the time the city’s comptroller, gave Blackwell “satisfactory” ratings across the board.
“Tammy has accepted the team approach,” Nimons wrote in the comments section of the evaluation. “It is important as we move this city forward.”
Blackwell’s son is a Republican Alderman representing the Seventh Ward, and her husband is the city’s blight officer.
The mayor said those relationships made the investigation awkward, but that “there’s no ill will.”
“They understand the procedure I’m going through,” he said.
