'Number Of Issues' Found In Naugatuck Tax Collector's Office: OPM

NAUGATUCK, CT — Less than two weeks until the local election a spotlight has emerged over the Tax Collector's Office.

The Naugatuck Republican Town Committee said it recently received an anonymous letter, which claims that the state Department of Office and Policy Management wrote a letter on Aug. 5 to Tax Collector James Goggin and other top borough officials detailing "a number of issues" that arose after undertaking an audit.

On Oct. 22, the local GOP wrote to Mayor Pete Hess, a Democrat, saying, they had received this information and urged the Mayor to address the OPM findings. In the Naugatuck Republican Town Committee's letter it asks why Borough officials received this letter on Aug. 5 but it was never brought to the attention of Naugatuck residents.

"It is our position that these violations by the Tax Collector require immediate attention and that per your request the resignation of Mr. Jim Goggin as Borough Tax Collector immediately. Furthermore, anyone in the Tax Collector’s office who knowingly participated and covered up these actions needs to be immediately removed," the local GOP said in its letter to Hess.

In OPM's letter, which can be viewed in its entirety below, the biggest issue centered on Goggin, a Democrat, waiving interest payments for seven taxpayers totaling $1,175, My Citizen's News reports. Goggin told the paper that all seven taxpayers, who had always paid their taxes on time, informed him that they had mailed checks in on time but they weren't received by his office and Goggin asked them to resend the payments.

Goggin told My Citizen's News he didn't require the seven taxpayers pay interest for paying their taxes late but he will in the future. Goggin also told The Yankee Institute that he believes the timing of the letter being leaked definitely coincides with the upcoming election. Goggin is seeking a seventh term on Nov. 5.

Goggin also told The Yankee Institute that all of the issues cited in the report are "minor" and largely stemmed from his office trying to help a handful of residents.

Here is the full letter sent to Goggin on Aug. 5 by Martin L. Heft, who is OPM Policy Development Coordinator:

Hess told My Citizen's News that he had two officials review the issue this summer, including a local Republican.

>>>Read My Citizen's News full story here.

>>>Read the full Yankee Institute story here.