Published: 05:26 p.m., Tuesday, July 6, 2010
To the residents of New Fairfield:
Over the last several months and now more often than ever, New Fairfield residents have been asking me about the embezzlement of taxpayer monies by a New Fairfield Parks and Recreation employee, how it was handled, and my participation as a selectman in the resolution of this matter. Because of this, I feel that the time is long overdue for me to let taxpayers know where I stand on this issue and set the facts straight.
Ever since the events surrounding this situation unfolded, First Selectman Hodge has been intent on convincing the public that the Board of Selectmen all agreed with the resolution of this matter.
In an interview with Channel 3 News in May, he misstated when he stated that, "The Board of Selectmen thought this was a big, big win for the town. We were high-fiving each other when we got the money."
"High fiving" each other? You must be kidding! Although my fellow selectmen may have celebrated what they thought was a "big win" for New Fairfield, I was never a party to this celebration. As a matter of fact, I am still extremely troubled by the entire affair and the way I was misled to become an unwitting participant in its questionable resolution.
Against my better judgment, I initially bought the argument that Mr. Hodge laid out to the public in a Citizen News article by Bob Byers (May 5). Mr. Hodge maintained that this was the best deal for the town because of a number of reasons.
Reasons included the existence of "evidentiary holes" that could be exploited by defendant's counsel (in other words, make a successful conviction difficult); and the high likelihood that restitution received through the court system would be a fraction of the $50,000 that was actually recovered. However, the logic behind both of these reasons is flawed.
Shortly after Feb. 25, 2010, when I voted to authorize the first selectman to sign the settlement agreement (following an executive session which I later found out was illegal, because there was no litigation pending), I learned this settlement was not the best and only option to recover the town's money. (For example, we could have filed an insurance claim.)
I also learned that I had the right to check the facts of matters discussed in executive session with individuals who were consulted regarding the matter.
Most importantly, however, I learned that only the Connecticut state's attorney has the authority to decide who should be prosecuted.
After checking a few of the things that I had been told, I came to the conclusion that I had been misled by First Selectman Hodge and not given all of the facts. With a clearer understanding of the situation, I immediately regretted my affirmative vote on Feb. 25.
I e-mailed the first selectman on March 11, 2010, to let him know that I had grave concerns about the matter and wanted to rescind my vote. The following day he responded, "Your comments are silly, under the circumstances."
At the next Board of Selectmen meeting on March 25, 2010, I made a motion to reconsider the vote on the settlement agreement. As expected, the motion did not carry, so I read the following statement into record:
"At the regular Board of Selectmen meeting on February 25th, 2010, I voted in favor of authorizing the first selectman to sign a settlement agreement as presented in executive session on behalf of the town. Since then, I have changed my mind. I feel that I was misled during executive session and regret my vote. It was a mistake. If the original motion were reconsidered, I would vote against it."
Following my statement, I was bullied by First Selectman Hodge and Selectman Chapman for standing up and trying to correct a wrong done to the citizens of New Fairfield.
I truly regret my part in this sad affair. New Fairfield deserves better from its elected officials. Bottom line -- I believe that taxpayers are entitled to the same high level of accountability from their town governments as stockholders are afforded by public companies in which they own interests.
The Parks and Recreation embezzlement situation has made me more committed than ever to ask questions, check the veracity of what I am told, and provide responsible oversight to our town.
Sadly, First Selectman Hodge and Selectman Chapman continue to bully and harass me while I try to do my best to make New Fairfield's government fair, open and transparent.
Monika Thiel is a New Fairfield selectman
