The town has spent about $2,400 so far on an investigation into an allegation of missing money from the tax collector’s office.
Karen Guillet, the tax collector at the center of the investigation, met with First Selectwoman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers Wednesday and declined to accept her sick pay.
Drayton-Rogers put Guillet on sick leave last week, then announced the investigation, which is an audit being handled by the accounting firm Michaud & Accavallo of Ansonia.
Drayton-Rogers said a formal complaint will be lodged with state police on Monday. Town officials said they had spent about $5,000 on the investigation, but, at Wednesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting, the number stated was about $2,400.
The state police special crimes unit is aware of the internal investigation and Guillet has hired a lawyer, Drayton-Rogers said Wednesday.
Guillet declined comment.
The accountants are auditing the tax collector’s all the way back to 2008, Drayton-Rogers said. The time period has expanded since last week, when Drayton-Rogers said the number crunchers were investigating bank info going back to July.
The Board of Selectmen appointed Sharon Scinto as acting tax collector Wednesday night. The Selectmen put a payment limit of $4,500 on the investigation.
Scinto is a certified tax collector in the state and will be paid $25.85 an hour.
The Selectmen also approved the hire of June R. Coburn as Assistant Tax Collector.
Coburn worked Quality Data Services, Inc., in Waterbury for 20 years, training tax collectors across the state.
Coburn will work 18 hours a week on a temporary basis and make $20 an hour.
Drayton-Rogers said since Guillet had denied her sick pay, funding for the positions is available in the salary line item for the Tax Collector’s department.
The town’s Board of Finance, meanwhile, conducted a special meeting Tuesday where members questioned where the First Selectwoman is getting the money needed to pay for the probe.
Tom Kelly, member of the finance board said Tuesday’s special meeting was called because the First Selectman was paying expenses without authorization.
“Before this meeting, we had no idea what was going on,” he said.
Drayton-Rogers dismissed the complaints, saying the money is coming from the Selectman’s Special Professional Services line item in the town budget. She didn’t need the Finance Board’s permission to use the money, Drayton-Rogers said.
In any event, Drayton-Rogers said she’ll be going to the Board of Finance Jan. 25 to request more money.
Finally, Drayton-Rogers also formed a three-person committee to look at policies and procedures within the tax collector’s office.
The members of the committee are attorney Bill Ryan, former town attorney Ray Kostka, and former finance board member Jim Murphy.
