NOTE: Oxford First Selectman George Temple announced today that former tax collector Karen Guillet has a parole hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday at the state’s Board of Pardons and Paroles, 55 West Main St. in Waterbury. He said he will deliver the following remarks:
Click here for background in the criminal case.
As First Selectman of the Town of Oxford, I would like to state the town’s position regarding Karen Guillet’s parole application. I have discussed this application with many people in the town. I feel that I polled a broad spectrum of political, social and ethnic backgrounds in formulating the position as stated today.
The position of the Tax Collector is an elected position in Oxford. Mrs. Guillet was always re-elected by a wide majority and was in fact rarely opposed. She was a very popular person in town and was known to be the affluent beneficiary of a trust fund. She always drove a foreign sports car and was extremely well dressed. In fact, she would tell others that she wore shoes that cost her $1,000. No one really thought much of her bragging because the town believed she was independently wealthy and therefore could afford luxuries.
The town had little or no control over the tax office and Mrs. Guillet would buy bagels for the independent auditors who only looked at her collection procedures and never questioned the actual dollars and cents.
In the meantime Mrs. Guillet was always generous to all. She taught religion in church and was very generous to her political party.
In short, most people liked, respected and trusted Mrs. Guillet. When she was finally caught, her assistant reported her to the first selectman. She admitted to stealing $3,600, but incredibly she was allowed to stay in her office for another six weeks.
Many people in town became very hostile to her assistant and implied that she was in fact the thief. In a display of moral courage, her assistant stayed on and watched as Mrs. Guillet disposed of documents.
Finally, after six weeks Mrs. Guillet resigned.
Mrs. Guillet had an elaborate scheme involving what is called a suspense list. A suspense list is a list of taxes that would be uncollectible. Usually if someone dies and leaves no estate, their tangible property would be placed on the suspense list. If someone moved out of state and owed taxes, they would be put on a suspense list. They still owe the taxes, but we would probably have to write them off. Typically the suspense list would amount to some $20,000 to $40,000. When I took office, our suspense list was $10.2 million dollars.
(Here is video from the former tax collector’s sentencing. Temple’s statement continues below)
In order to determine the validity of our suspense list, the entire list was made public. Many residents were angry at being included as a “tax delinquent.’’ Many brought proof of payment into town hall. In fact the total amount that these so called “delinquents,’’ provided as conclusively proven to have paid was: $2,644,718, with more to come.
To be sure, the town of Oxford totally investigated the tax collecting procedures in the past. The town was managed in a naïve, unprofessional manner. Such an atmosphere was ripe for the taking for a self-centered greedy thief. Enter Karen Guillet.
To this date, we don’t know the total amount stolen from us by this woman. Our finance director estimated that it was at least $4.2 million dollars over the past fifteen years. If that estimate is true and we average it out, if she is released in August…it would mean that she would only serve one month for every $262,500 she took from Oxford. It’s a slap on the wrist for her … a slap in the face for Oxford.
I am sure Mrs. Guillet has been an exemplary prisoner. At one time she was an exemplary citizen. When I think of the projects that could have been completed with the money she stole. It boils my blood! When we had to scrape up money for school security and playgrounds I think of her extravagant lifestyle. It is not a question of bitterness or revenge that motivates us to oppose Mrs. Guillet’s parole; it is a matter of justice for her betrayal of our trust.
I thank you for your kind consideration.
Oxford First Selectman George R. Temple
