Derby Aldermen voted Tuesday to authorize their lawyer to write a “separation agreement” that will end the employment of a Derby City Hall worker accused of “mishandling cash” in the tax office.
If all goes as planned, the worker, Katherine Kulhawik, a clerk who was been suspended without pay since June 25, will submit a letter of resignation and agree not to file a union grievance against Derby, according to Derby Corporation Counsel Joseph Coppola.
After a closed-door executive session Tuesday, the Aldermen voted unanimously for Coppola to write the agreement. He’ll give a copy to Kulhawik’s lawyer and, assuming all the lawyers agree, members of the Derby Board of Aldermen will officially endorse the separation agreement at their next meeting.
Kulhawik was escorted out of Derby City Hall June 25, after her supervisor — the city’s tax collector — alleged she improperly voided cash payments from taxpayers.
On July 24, Coppola sent Kulhawik a letter stating that an internal investigation indicated she “had participated in the misapplication of payments and data manipulation or fraud.”
The investigation started after Derby Tax Collector Denise Cesaroni discovered a resident’s cash tax payment had been improperly voided without explanation.
Derby officials have not stated how many improperly “voided” cash transactions occurred, the dollar amount it represents or for how long it went on — but a letter from Cesaroni states city employees in the tax office searched the garbage for missing cash the day the issue was discovered.
However, Coppola has said that all payments received from tax payers have been accounted for.
The full extent of the alleged “data manipulation” has also not been explained to the public.
The Derby Police Department are aware of the situation, according to Coppola, but a criminal complaint was never filed.
Derby Police Department Chief Gerald Narowski attended Tuesday’s executive session (closed to the public) to answer questions from Aldermen.
Mayor Anthony Staffieri declined comment. Ron Sill, president of the Board of Aldermen, said elected officials could not comment.
Aldermen Ken Hughes said the separation agreement is in the “best interests of the city.”
Coppola said more details will be revealed once the Aldermen officially authorize the separation agreement. The separation agreement will have to be made public because it is a public document under state law.
Kulhawik’s lawyer was at the meeting, but did not attend the executive session. He declined comment.
