by Ed Naile
Now that the Windsor municipal audit of years 2000 – 2007, also known as “The Missing Years” is officially in in our small Peyton Place it may be time for reflection.
Some $350,000.00 is in limbo, missing, uncollected, vaporized, eaten by the dog, caught in a time space continuum, or otherwise unavailable for use to offset property taxes actually paid by the unfortunate souls who are not on the “Friends and Family List” of delinquent-for-a-decade residents.
That is undisputable. Except if you are one of the “governing body” in town.
Here is the problem in short.
If the Windsor Selectmen and tax collector, past and present, responsible for the missing $350,000.00 had only tried to remedy the situation, or at least pretended to do so, it would almost be cruel to pursue the matter in court in any type of action one could possibly bring against the officials in their public or private capacity.
But NO! They seem to have leaned towards the time honored tradition of, “Let’s see if we can use the town lawyer to get away with this.”
This was only partially effective. The original lawyer who stood his ground, defending the Windsor Selectmen and Tax Collector against the small group of activists there has, as they say, left the building. The town attorney has split for other parts of our fine state leaving his former clients still attached like barnacles to a sinking ship. And they some splain’n to do.
Moral of this story:
The Town Counsel of any municipality is supposed to represent THE BEST INTEREST OF THE TOWN, not try to get elected officials out of a jam as though he is representing O.J. Simpson.
The Math of this story:
$350,000.00 missing – divided between 240ish full time residents (minus 22 or so in the “Friends and Family Program) + some non-resident victims = this question: How come no one is in jail yet?