The Newtown Bee Letter to Editor: Questions About The Animal Control Officer

To the Editor:

1. What was the total cost to Newtown taxpayers, including payables (invoices not yet paid and/or received) incurred as a result of the firing of the Animal Control Officer Carolee Mason? I have heard rumors as high as $75,000 — possible? Can you determine that all invoices have been submitted and accounted for? Have you verified this with the legal firm?

2. Has the town reimbursed Carolee Mason for the COBRA payments she made as a result of her wrongful firing? If not, do you agree that she should be reimbursed?

3. Has the town reimbursed Carolee Mason for the legal expenses she incurred? Do you agree she should be reimbursed?

4. I believe that the town should organize a fundraiser if necessary to make her whole.

In my opinion, this episode made the town and its officials look ignorant, stupid, inexperienced, sadistic, pompous. I just shook my head. What an embarrassment!

Please let me know what we, the townspeople, can do to rectify this situation.

Thank you,

Caren Nelson

116 Brushy Hill Road, Newtown October 29, 2009

What was her penalty or punishment for corruption? She was not proven innocent of the allegations but just able to keep her job due to a technicality and political advantage.(Animosity among the towns selectmen.) Is she still crying about it? A fundraiser would be an embarrassment!! She was an embarrassment. She should put her tail between her legs and count her blessings she has her job. Who do you refer to as "we" the townspeople??? Speak for yourself and leave "us" out of it!

Animal Control Officer Not Made Whole
11/12/2009

To the Editor:

In respond to the letter last week to The Bee ["Questions About Animal Control Officer," Letter Hive 11/6/09], Carolee Mason has not yet been reimbursed for her legal fees nor her COBRA payments. Carolee Mason has been out of pocket about $10,000 due to this whole ordeal. She only makes $40,000 a year. A quarter of her pay lost due to the town firing her for no reason with only allegations from someone who refused to leave her name and didn't show up at the hearings. Her COBRA payments were about $3,500, which she would not be out of pocket if not fired. Her lawyer bills were about $6,000, which she would of never needed to pay for if not fired. This is common sense and she needs to be reimbursed. I don't understand why the town is taking their time making her whole. The town has a serious lawsuit on their hands and lucky for them she hasn't sued because $75,000 would be a drop in the bucket. I am sure all of the town employees that were involved in the hearings got paid and some probably received overtime.

I hope the town makes good on this because if we have to go to court to get reimbursed it's going to cost the taxpayers more money.

Anthony Mason

50 Deep Brook Road, Newtown November 10, 2009

This is the same attitude and intimidating scare tactics that got his mother into trouble in the first place. Cry me a river...