Slowly But Surely, Town Clearing Good Names

The town of Oxford is working hard to clear names that were tarnished by the actions of former felonious Tax Collector Karen Guillet. 

The town will credit 94 accounts totaling $187,936 to people whose accounts showed up on tax records as delinquent, according to minutes from a recent Board of Selectmen meeting. The reason was that Guillet was not properly crediting their accounts because she was stealing from them.

A committee has been put into place to investigate the accounts of those who show up as delinquent. Residents who say they have paid provide proof through an escrow stateent from the bank or a receipt from the tax collector’s office.

“The people were victims,” Hliva told the Republican-American. “They weren’t delinquent.” 

Several taxpaying citizens were enraged last year when First Selectman George Temple released a list of deliquent taxpayers who, with penalties and interest, were shown to have owed about $10.3 million going back some 15 years.

The list includes more than 2,000 delinquent accounts.

The town is looking at all of the accounts and encouraging people to get in contact with the town at Town Hall to discuss their payment status.

Guillet, 63, has been convicted of stealing more than $243,000 from the town and is currently serving 12 years, suspended after four are served, in prison for her crimes. She has been ordered to pay back the money after her probation is up five years after her release.