Members of both political parties are shocked over an investigation into money allegedly missing from Tax Collector Karen Guillet’s office.
Guillet has been placed on paid sick leave during the investigation, which should take approximately two weeks.
Guillet, a Democrat and Tax Collector in town for 24 years, would not not discuss the investigation in detail.
“We will see how it plays out,” she said Thursday.
First Selectwoman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers said she was informed by an anonymous source in mid-December of the missing money, which sparked an investigation.
Drayton-Rogers hired accountants Michaud and Accavallo of Ansonia, the town’s auditors, to conduct a procedural review of bank deposit activity from the Tax Collector’s Department dating back to July 2009.
Drayton-Rogers has additionally notified the state police, town attorney Fran Teodosio and officials from Naugatuck Savings Bank.
The First Selectwoman did not say how much money is allegedly missing.
“I am not going to go into specifics because there is an ongoing procedural review in the tax collector’s office,” Drayton-Rogers said.
She stopped short of calling the review an audit.
“No, it’s a procedural review,” Drayton-Rogers said. “We’re looking at bank deposit activity.”
Those who know Guillet said she is friendly, well known— and innocent until proven guilty.
“This is a tragedy,” said Peter Bunzl, former chairman of the Democratic Town Committee. “I am shocked and saddened by this.”
Bunzl said he hopes Republicans do not make the allegations into a political issue.
Former Republican First Selectman Augie Palmer, a Republican, called Guillet a hard worker and a honorable person.
“A person cannot be found guilty by accusations or finger pointing,” he said. “She is innocent until proven guilty.”
Drayton-Rogers said staffing at town hall will be adjusted to accommodate Guillet’s absence.
“This is an unsettling situation for me personally and my administration,” she said. “The town is doing everything to handle this efficiently and properly.”
The First Selectwoman also ordered all Town Hall employees not to comment on the matter to the press. They were instructed to refer inquiries to the First Selectwoman’s office.
I hope the allegations are not true, but if they are, she should be held fully responsible for whatever actions caused this issue and the penalties that go along with this.
Bunzl said….. “He hopes Republicans do not make the allegations into a political issue.”
Yes…because Oxford democrats have been so civil! Yea Right! The First Selectman is trying to terminate the town hall custodian because he placed Republican signs in his yard during the campaign. Please. And what is this about town hall employees can’t comment on this matter, Mary Ann forgot, she does not work for the post office any more! Drayton Rogers should be concerned if these allegations prove true, the tax collector was one of the largest financial campaign contributors to the Drayton Rogers / McKane Campaign and this scandal opened under her watch. Let’s hope for Oxford’s sake and those involved that this is not true. If it is, every dollar missing for the hard working taxpayers must be returned.
seems Oxford resident is tongue tied. whats the matter have nothing negative to say today?
If she were a republican your fingers would be sore! Let’s hope it is not true but this is just another example of what a poor administrator we have in Oxford.With Mad-R at the helm we are headed for the rocks.
OxfordResident & Bunzl: If these allegations are true for the DEMOCRATIC tax collector this would be the biggest scandal that ever occured
in the town of Oxford! The additional audit will will cost the town more than $5000. The tax collector was a big contributor to the MAD-R & McKane election! The tide has turned big time. These allegations are very seious. OxfordResident if this was a Republican you would be writing your nasty letters to the media all day long…The Republicans don’t have the problems but the DEMOCRATS sure do. The people of Oxford will watch this case as it unfolds very carefully.
See my previous post about Palmer. Because of HIS actions (and he is a Republican), the town town had to settle lawsuits that so far have far exceeded anything else that has gone on in this town.
If it costs $5,000 for an audit, then I say GREAT because if it will uncover wrongdoing that helps recover missing money, then the $5,000 will be money well spent.
And if you want to complain about $5,000 being spent, then let’s talk about the games Palmer and his Administration were playing with the budget when it took SIX times to pass. Each referendum costs close to $5,000, so (5) unnecessary votes cost Oxford close $25,000. THAT was a waste of money! Compare that to Mary Ann’s (1) vote each two years in a row and you will see that the Palmer Administration has wasted more money then anyone.
Republican, Democrat, or Independent, if they do something wrong, they should be held accountable.
Wow, OxfordResident is comparing a referendum which is either passed or failed by the will of the voters to embezzling of funds by the tax collector! I guess OxfordResident in their delusional state to support Mary Ann and the Democrats at any cost will blame the voters next and say… well the residents voted in the tax collector so they are guilty too. The fact is Guillet endorsed Mary Ann and David McKane in a mailer, letters to the editor and gave the largest campaign contributions to the democratic town committee! I hope the campaign was not funded by tax payers dollars! This issue was not addressed immediately, it was delayed ..it was the press asking the right questions. Mary Ann continued to say up until the day before the story broke… she denied anything was occurring and as usual was not upfront with the information. If these allegations prove true, an immediate internal investigation as to why Mary Ann did not notify other elected officials, the Board of Finance and most importantly the public in a timely manner. In that case, resignations should then be in order.
not again…You have no idea what you are talking about and you appear to be trying to throw S… against the wall to see what sticks.
Mary Ann could NOT say anything to ANYONE because if she did, the Tax Collector would have been aware that an investigation was occurring and if any wrongdoing had occurred, evidence could have been tampered with to try to hide things from being found. Don’t you understand the basic steps of an investigation?
As far as being a Democrat or contributing to a campaign, let’s not forget the pictures of Palmer with DeLuca in front of Oxford Town Hall and DeLuca’s use of a supposedly “connected” person to rough up his granddaughters fiance.
By your reasoning, if someone is an acquaintance of another person that commits a crime, that makes them as guilty as the person who committed the crime. So, using your logic, then Palmer and the Republicans in Oxford are connected to DeLuca, who was acquainted with a “connected” person. Your reasoning is ridiculous.
Stick to the facts, don’t make things up, and maybe people will start listening to you.
I knew it would not take long for Oxford resident to get testy and nasty.
Look at the first posting I made, nothing nasty or testy about it.
It was yourself and not again who initiated the nastiness and testiness, all I did was respond with facts. Once a Rasberry, always a Rasberry!
Provide me with facts where I said something that was not accurate. Everything I posted is 100% accurate, not what if’s or innuendos. I bet you can’t!
‘OxfordResident’ I agree ‘with eyes open in Oxford’. Your MO is easy to folow.It wasn’t long before you got testy and nasty. The tax collector is a DEMOCRAT and the the only time you write civil is to support your buddies the DEMOCRATS. We didn’t fall for your ploy. OxfordResident'(CrazyinOxford) writes very similar if not exactly in negative phraseology and sentence structure to the Bunzl/Komar left wing DEMOCRATS who wrote in the Voices! You are a Rasberry all right but you got a fungus and rotted!
sorry just got back from ripping down campaign signs.
what did I miss?
Again, OxfordResident is incorrect. The “cat” was out of the bag and the tax collector knew well before the press and the public were told, That’s why the auditors going back to at least July and looking into this. Mary Ann was going around town hall asking employees and the press “who told you about this? How did you know” She was more concerned about who told who then doing the right thing and telling Oxford Residents.
And just as this article mentions, Mary Ann instructed all town hall employees shut -up about this issue. If these terrible allegations are true, a special election will need to be had for a new tax collector and Mary Ann should should order her DEMOCRATIC town committee give back the large campaign contribution given by the TAX COLLECTOR to the Drayton Rogers campaign. I guess McKane could do it, but his can’t seem to speak without Mary Ann, and besides, she is good at dictating orders and hiding important facts from the public.
Everyone is talking about political parties and not how and what happened. I hope this is a mistake and not dishonesty. The questions we should be asking is how much of our tax dollars are missing and secondly what controls are being put in place to prevent this from occurring again. I think as tax payers we should have this information. I hope no one attempt s to hold any information back under the guise of “it is still under investigation.” Each and every tax payer should have as much information as our selectman on this one.
Well said, joeh.
‘joeh’ you are right, the problem is our selectman is not providing the information to the taxpayers of Oxford. The RepublicanAmerican on Friday, January 15, 2010 stated “State Police spokesman J. Paul Vance on Thursday said his department hasn’t yet received a formal complaint from the town.” When will Drayton Rogers move on this?
Nobody here could possibly know what is going on except for what is being reported in the newspapers. Something like this cannot be swept under the rug and based on what I’ve read, it is not. The simple act of the First Selectwoman having the Tax Collector put on leave is action enough at this point in order to determine the extent of this issue.
The Police do not get involved until a complaint is filed with them, as Joe H would know being a former Police Officer himself.
As is being reported, Auditors are reviewing the records and once the full extent of whatever happened is known and the internal investigation is complete, it will then be turned over to Police for action, if any is warranted.
The investigation itself is being paid for through public funds, so any report by the Auditors given to Town Counsel or Selectmen is public information through FOI, so you will have your answers, but the investigation needs to be completed first.
Any comment that the First Selectwoman is not acting is a political statement and is indicative of the attitudes of certain people posting on this board. This is a very public case and all information will be coming out, maybe not as quickly as you like, but it will come out.
I am 100% in agreement with DadinOxford, and I cannot believe the nastiness here! As in any other type of investigation, there is a lid placed on information released to the public for a reason. To make accusations that information is being deliberatly withheld, and that it is politically motivated is just plain old ignorant. There is no doubt in my mind that the First Selectman will bring all of the information that is found in the investigation to the towns people, we just have to wait out the two weeks.