The Windsor Way

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?

Comments

[Windsor Taxpayer]

The really odd thing about this matter is the lack of interest that is being shown by the many over charged taxpayers in this small town. They just sit back and say nothing. What is it going to take to get them interested in the fact that they are paying "deadbeats" part of town government. Thanks for a least attempting to wake them up. But I think it is going to take something louder.

[curious taxpayer]

so what percentage of my taxes are covering the non-payers? thanks for any info you can provide. . .

[Ed Naile]

Curious:

It is a bit hard to figure exactly without the assessment of your property and the lenght of time you paid property taxes in town but a simple formula dividing the missing taxes could be applied just as a tax increase does, per thousand of value per year.

Any remedy right now may fall to the list of plaintiffs. Who knows what a settlement may lead to. This is uncharted territory.

[real taxpayer]

where did you come up with $350000. is this number from the windsor coalition of taxpayers. that now no one belongs to. you should write for disney.

[Windsor Taxpayer]

Since math is an exact science------lets add up all the unpaid taxes 2000 to 2007-because that what the state ordered the town to do. Now lets add in the interest no one collected----maybe we could even add in the monies that were not collected before 2000 [oh thats right, that information was lost]. Now divide that up between all us poor people who struggled to pay taxes -----do you get the hang of this yet???? Thats what I mean----where are all you outraged people who should be paying attention to this? I, personally was flabergasted when I heard the figures at the town meeting this past year. By the way where is that audit that the selectmen were trying to squelch. Maybe that will be the final answer.

[Ed Naile]

RTP:

Funny you should mention Disney!!!

I am collecting material on Windsor for something just like that. A reality show based on the Windsor Way.

Peyton Place - Windsor Way ...get it?

Part tragedy, part comedy, a dash of criminal, some small amount of nepotism, and viola, we have a new series - set to banjo music of course.

We could use locals as actors or hire some agent to cast the parties involved from the Hollywood B List.

[windsor res]

Is the cast of the golden girls still alive? They could play the itty-bitty committee. . .

[Ed Naile]

Windsor Res:

I guess that Depends.

[windsor res]

so the figure of $350K has been released by the selectmen? by the tax collector? the auditors? what official gave this figure?

WTP says it was mentioned at the town meeting this year, Ed implies it comes from the audit, but WTP says the audit hasn't been released. . . surely one of them can tell us where the number 350K has come from. . . i mean since math is an exact science why can't either of these insiders tell us WHO came up with that figure?

standing by for outrage and attacks. . . with of course no real answers. . . i've been here before folks.

[Ed Naile]

Windsor Res:

It is $341,000.00 as per the draft audit from Melanson & Heath, the auditing firm.

But there will be more to this - just wait.

The case was filed in Hillsborough Superior North last Friday. I do not have the Docket # yet but you can read it for yourself when it goes in the papers and I post it here.

[Windsor Taxpayer]

Something was filed in court? Is this the AG'S Office? The selectmen keep saying the AG'S office has the audit. That is the final audit. We already payed over $10,000.00 for a pretend audit done by a selectmen's realtive. That was a real waste of money because then we had to also pay a real auditor to do a real job. Then next year when the taxes go up everybody will wonder why. Or maybe blame the messengers. To hear the selectmen talk, its the people who demanded something be done who are the ones to blame not the ones who got caught with their hands in the cookie jar. For those caught not paying their propery taxes it was a nice gig while it lasted------Yes i'm talking to all those who went over 7 and 8 years that we can document who never paid a dime until they got caught and their friends who continue to back them because they get a few perks along the way. I think the gig is up.

[windsor taxpayer]

I'm happy to see that there are some folks out there that get the picture, the sad part is the idiots that don't or should I say don't want to. I'm thinking the air on the hill is to thin to sustain brain function. Lets not forget that isn't only the "elected" officials and select few non-paying taxpayers that are wrong(guilty) but the DRA's office actually allowed this to happen, heven forbid we do our job. One other quick bit of info, wouldn't it be nice , (do to the fact that the honest taxpayers are paying him) if we could get a "town counsel" to do his job and work for the people and not the guilty. Oh well "Its the Windsor Way"

[Ed Naile]

Windsor:

Your Board of Selectivlytaxmen should have come to CNHT for help when the crap hit the fan.

We would have advised them to get right to work calling the DRA, auditors, anyone for help to straighten the mess out. It does happen in other towns (Newton right now) and they would have escaped any lawsuits or criminal prosecution.

BUT THEY APPARENTLY LISTENED TO THIER LAWYER INSTEAD!

No going back now.

[Dave]

Ed,

Hmmm How many other towns and municipal agencies does the lawyer who "left the building" currently or in the past represent? Are those groups aware of his sterling advice?

This whole legal counsel bit has always worried me. I understand the necessity but there is a lot of incest. Amherst/Souhegan for many years had a counsel who was the law partner of the Moderator (also a local state rep). Just to cover the bases, the counsel was also a part time judge which may have hepled grease any court case that got to that level. Of course there was no conflict of interest to be found when you write, interpret, and apply the laws in a close knit family.

[Ed Naile]

Dave:

At CNHT we call this thinking outside the box.

It isn't always apparent where the problem with a problem child town begins until you take a hard look at the lawyers, auditing firm, assessing firm, and DRA rep. involved.

Then you have the whole story.

[real windsor taxpayer]

ed you and clueless j j ( i use small letters of course) are so funny! you live in a world of make believe. but you do have the itty bitty commity believing. now thats a full bag of nuts.

[Ed Naile]

rwt:

As with everything CNHT does we just run on the facts. Facts from both sides will all come out in court depositions and testimony if it goes to trial.

The case was filed in Superior North last Friday.

Windsor Town counsel has some time to respond with what will probably be some sort of motion to dismiss. I doubt that will go far. Judges like to look at crazy cases like this as well as the general public.

There will probably be another case filed as well from a different angle, not just finances.

Then there are criminal options the AG has....

I would like to post the auditor's Management Letter as soon as it is available. That should, in a few pages, sum up whare the money went or did not go.

JJ's name isn't on anything involving this case I can think of. He won the 91-A case several years ago pro se.

[Windsor Taxpayer]

Again, maybe it would be a good idea if all these people involved in the immediate mess [current taxpayers who actually pay their taxes} should get involved in the process by going and demanding that things be done right instead of sitting back on their backsides and letting things just happen. Yes it will cause the people who got caught to get upset and maybe even put you name outhere as a person trying to upset the applecart but for petes' sake put your two cents worth in and demand that elected officials run things at the town hall in he best interest of the town not just their relatives and friends. Not just a Slow Down Sign -Respect your neighbors sign --I am beginning to believe that he person who signs their comment as "real windsor taxpayer" is one of those who got caught not paying their property taxes as they do believe it was their right not to do so. I really hope this legal case gets going as summer is now upon us and we are still floundering in this mess and the longer it goes on the more arrogant the deadbeats become.

[Windsor Taxpayer]

I also hope a lot of people get heavy fines and some jail time would be nice too. I really don't care how involved they are/were in anything that did or didn't happened, I just want anyone who works for the town, or did work for the town to pay pay pay!!! hopefully all these people will lose their homes and have to leave town so i can run it the right way! don't you all understand they are all wrong! they are all deadbeats, wrong-doers and hicks, come on people you should be outraged! they are bad!! let's get these people!!

[New Real Taxpayer]

How about collecting the monies that are due to the Town of Windsor???
Maybe the court case can put things in motion to collect these??
I feel the people who have been working on this should be commended. Are the Town officials working towards the results of collecting this money?? Or are they trying to bury them??