Della Volpe: I Did Not Authorize Tax ‘Payment Plans’

Ansonia Mayor James Della Volpe said Thursday he never authorized tax collector Bridget Bostic to set up “payment plans” for any residents or city officials struggling to pay their tax bills.

“I never asked the tax office to put anybody on a payment plan, nor have I asked them to do anything for anyone that is not consistent with state law,” Della Volpe said.

The question was posed to the mayor because Bostic — during an interview with a three-person “fact finding” panel probing her office — allegedly said that Della Volpe was aware of a payment plan set up for a resident who owed the city money.

Payment plans are problematic because they raise questions about favoritism and — according to one tax collector in the region — not allowed in Connecticut.

Background

Della Volpe put Bostic on paid administrative leave Wednesday after an internal fact finding report alleged she had improperly given car tax “clearance” documents to several city employees, officials — and her mother.

The documents authorized by Bostic stated the people had paid their motor vehicle property taxes when, in fact, they had not.

The documents were used as proof of payment to the state Department of Motor Vehicles, allowing the connected people to renew their vehicle registrations without paying the car taxes they owed.

The Ansonia fact finding report was triggered by a report in the Valley Independent Sentinel July 18 that uncovered the irregularities.

For example, Bostic’s mother, Marion, owed about $4,000 on two vehicles dating back to 1997. Yet she was able to register a Toyota Corolla in April with the Department of Motor Vehicles using a document from the tax collector as proof she had paid her back taxes.

James Hooker, an employee with the Ansonia Department of Public Works, owed almost $7,000 on six cars dating back to 2007. Yet he was able to register three cars with the DMV in June 2011, using a stamped notice from Bostic as proof he had paid overdue car taxes.

Who Knew?

The fact finding report released Wednesday by Ansonia City Hall includes a summary of statements Bostic allegedly made to two city lawyers and a city auditor probing some of the issues raised by the Valley Indy.

On page six of the report, which is posted at the bottom of this article, Bostic allegedly tells the panel that she had probably given DMV tax clearances to 10 people since 2004.

Each clearance was given “in conjunction with a so-called payment plan,” according to statements attributed to Bostic in the report.

Bostic told the panel she couldn’t remember names of the people on payment plans, except for a resident with the last name Spencer. No date is given.

The report states:

“According to her, Spencer and she agreed upon a payment plan in conjunction with discussions that the two had with Mayor James Della Volpe.

She stated that the Mayor was aware of the plan. She also stated that the Mayor was aware of her issuing a DMV release prior to the plan.”

Della Volpe Reacts

In a telephone interview Thursday afternoon, Della Volpe said Bostic’s statement isn’t entirely accurate.

The Spencer in question in a Charles Spencer, according to the mayor, a fifty-something lifelong Ansonia resident.

People struggling to make ends meet always stop in his office or approach him at events, Della Volpe said.

“As far as Spencer goes, he came in to see me. I talked to Bridget. I talked to Spencer. He said he had problems, he had difficulties, he had to go to the doctor, he couldn’t register his car,” Della Volpe said.

“I said, ‘Let me get Bridget.’ I said, ‘Bridget, Spencer has some problems.’ She and Spencer went into the office. She came back, stood in my doorway and said ‘OK, everything is all set.’

The conversation stopped there, according to Della Volpe.

“That was it,” the mayor said.

Attempts to reach Spencer Thursday were unsuccessful.

Payment Plans

Bostic, according to the fact finding report, said Spencer was on a payment plan and so was Diane Stroman, who serves on a volunteer commission, and Leslie Jamison, a city employee.

Stroman told the Valley Indy in July that Ansonia had put her on a payment plan for back taxes, which is why she was issued a DMV clearance for her cars.

However, Della Volpe said payment plans for delinquent taxpayers is not an option in Ansonia.

“I don’t know if the tax office ever put anybody on a payment plan,” Della Volpe said. “It’s my understanding that payment plans are not allowed under state law. As far as I know there is no payment plan program in place.”

Payment plans are troublesome, Norwalk tax collector Lisa Biagiarelli pointed out in an e-mail this week, because they raise serious questions about state law, not to mention fairness.

“What happens — in theory — if all of a sudden everybody wanted to be on a ‘payment plan?’ Do you allow all of them to do it? If not, how do you pick and choose? Based on what?” she asked.

The plans also have the potential to wreak havoc on a municipal budget, Biagiarelli said.

GOP Questions Report

The Bostic-Spencer-Della Volpe story in the fact finding report did not go unnoticed by Patrick Henri, chairman of the Ansonia Town Republican Committee.

Henri released a statement Thursday morning regarding the tax collector controversy. The full text of the GOP statement is posted below.

Article continues after the document.

ARTC Tax Office Statement

“Perhaps because of the cited deadline for the report, time restrictions left room for a few questions that hopefully will be answered through the subsequent investigations,” Henri stated.

“One question left unanswered, for example, concerns the Tax Collector’s statement saying that the Mayor knew of an instance where a payment plan was being implemented. It is curious that the report did not give the Mayor an opportunity to respond to that statement,” Henri said.

John Marini, a Republican on the Board of Aldermen, issued a written statement calling for “a full audit of the tax collector’s office for the past five to 10 years.”

“Further, I find the investigative report to be less than satisfactory. The report does not definitively state how many invalid tax clearances were issued in any given amount of time,” Marini said.

“It does not explore the question of whether city employees and officials receiving invalid tax clearances knew they were doing so improperly. Finally, it does not even attempt to confirm the tax collector’s assertion that all invalid clearances were issued in connection with so-called (and improper) “payment plans,” Marini said.

David Knapp, a Democrat on the Board of Aldermen, pointed out the city is turning over the fact finding report to the Ansonia Police Department, who will be reviewing it with the State’s Attorney’s Office.

In addition, an outside agency of some kind will be delving deeper into the issues raised by the Valley Independent Sentinel and the city’s internal report.

“It’s on the agenda for Tuesday’s Board of Aldermen meeting and I’m sure it is going to be discussed at great length,” Knapp said. “The Board of Aldermen, I’m assuming, will go forward and recommend another, independent review. It’s unfair for John to come out with a statement like that.”

Next Steps

Bostic is a union member and has the opportunity for a collective bargaining hearing, Della Volpe said.

It has yet to be scheduled.

In that hearing, Bostic may choose to have an attorney present. The same goes for the city.

“It will be a fact finding hearing,” the mayor said.

The tax collector controversy — and more specifically reforms proposed to address the problems — will be discussed at an Ansonia Board of Aldermen meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14 at Ansonia City Hall, 253 Main St.

The city’s fact finding report on the tax collector is scheduled to be given to the Ansonia Police Department.

According to a prepared statement from police issued Thursday, they will review the document with the State’s Attorney’s Office in Milford to determine whether a criminal investigation is warranted.

If a criminal probe is needed, the State’s Attorney’s Office and city police will then discuss who should actually investigate.

Since the matter involves public funds and city employees, “it may be prudent to request an outside agency to assume investigative responsibilities,” according to the statement.

That could mean the state police, who are often contacted if a local police department needs assistance from an outside agency.

Ansonia Tax Collector – Fact Finding Report 8-8-12