Oxford First Selectman George Temple said the town’s tax collector, appointed last month, has resigned to take a job in the private sector.
Temple announced the news in a press release issued Thursday, and said the tax collector, Paula Jensen, has resigned “effective immediately.”
Jensen is the town’s fourth tax collector in two years. The office was rocked by scandal starting in late 2010, after Karen Guillet, the former tax collector, was accused of stealing.
“It’s always a danger when you hire good people like Paula Jensen that they be offered a position that pays much higher and unfortunately that is the situation,” Temple said in the press release.
Jensen was appointed by selectmen to take the post last month. Click here to read more from Oxford Patch.
Temple said part-time help will be brought into the tax office until a full-time replacement can be found.
And he promised to perform a “diligent search for a new tax collector to stabilize the tax office.”
In the press release, Jensen said she is sad to leave.
“I have regrettably decided to resign from my position as Tax Collector for the town of Oxford,” she said. “I am pleased to have been a part of rectifying an extremely difficult situation during my time and have seen a great improvement. My personal and professional needs have changed and I must address those needs. I truly have enjoyed serving the people of Oxford, and wish my colleagues continued success in their endeavors.”
The town’s tax office has been in turmoil since the departure of Karen Guillet from the tax collector’s post after allegations of embezzlement surfaced. This month Guillet pleaded guilty to first-degree larceny and faces up to five years behind bars at an Oct. 29 sentencing.
Click here to read every story the Valley Indy has published on the issue.
