SPRINGFIELD CENTER – At last Monday’s Springfield Town Board
meeting, Councilman Jim Willsey presented a letter to Supervisor Tom
Armstrong requesting, through the Freedom of Information Act, to see a
copy of the approved contract with Paychex, Inc. Willsey is concerned
with the way the salary program is being handled. “I’m afraid we have
people who are not being paid in the proper sequence,” Willsey said.
“The law states you can’t pay people in advance.”
Willsey referred to a paycheck issued to Community Center
Coordinator Debi Karas, which is dated for the April pay period but is
actually for the March pay period, according to Willsey. “She doesn’t
dare to cash it,” Willsey said. “I want the record to show that Debi
can cash her check, it’s for the month of March.”
Willsey sent a copy of the letter to the town’s attorney and wants
to see the monthly notifications from Nov. 2004 to April 2005. “I want
the board to audit them, so we can resolve this once and for all,”
Willsey said.
Armstrong has said there is no discrepancy between the dates on
employees’ paychecks and pay periods, and Willsey accused him of making
“misleading and outrageous statements.” Willsey told Armstrong he wants
a list of all employees on the Paychex list for 2004 and employees’
folders with W-4s and 1-9 forms, documentation, identification, and
citizenship information, New York State retirement information and
W-2s. Willsey said he also wants to see the escrow checkbook, bank
statements and accounting books showing escrow activity.
Willsey also asked Armstrong why he wasn’t presenting the bank
statements each month during the Supervisor’s Financial Report.
“According to our auditor, we should not be signing this without seeing
the bank statements to show they were reconciled,” Willsey said.
Armstrong said he had checked around and no other town supervisors did
what Willsey was requesting.
Councilman Dan Rosen asked if a reasonable compromise would be for
Armstrong to bring the bank statements every other month. “Every
month,” Willsey replied. “There’s not a business around that doesn’t
reconcile their statements every month.”
“I don’t think it’s necessary,” Armstrong said. “It’s just another burden.”
“I just want to make sure it’s in the record that you’re not doing it,” Willsey said.
Armstrong agreed to bring in the bank statements, and Councilman
John Walrath asked him if he would bring them in monthly or planned to
do it every other month. “Look, I’ll bring them in, but I’m not going
to talk about them; you can just look at them,” Armstrong said. “I’ll
bring them in next month and see what kind of problems we have.” The
board unanimously approved the Supervisor’s Report, but Willsey voted
yes with the condition that Armstrong bring in the bank statements.
The board unanimously voted to have Supervisor Tom Armstrong ask
James Zaengle to finish the term of town justice beginning June 1. The
position has been vacated by the retirement of Wesley Buddle, effective
May 1. Buddle served as the town justice for 20 years. “I enjoyed it,
but I figured it was time for someone else to take over,” he said.
The board also unanimously approved to offer Mary Clarke the
position as alternate on the Planning Board, also effective June 1.
The meeting opened with Councilman Richard Rathbun asking everyone
to bow their head in a moment of silent prayer in memory of Gene Wells,
who served as the town’s supervisor for 19 years and was Springfield’s
Otsego County representative since 1991.
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