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Colton officials take heat following highway superintendent’s hire of nephew as taxes on some soar

Posted 7/31/16

By JIMMY LAWTON COLTON – Colton officials are taking heat after the highway superintendent hired his nephew without advertising the position. Matthew Planty, the newest addition to Colton’s …

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Colton officials take heat following highway superintendent’s hire of nephew as taxes on some soar

Posted

By JIMMY LAWTON

COLTON – Colton officials are taking heat after the highway superintendent hired his nephew without advertising the position.

Matthew Planty, the newest addition to Colton’s highway department, is a nephew to Highway Superintendent Kevin Hawley and is also the grandson of board member Grace Hawley.

Town Supervisor Dennis Bulger says he and others met with Town Attorney Eric Gustafson prior to the meeting to ensure the action was legal.

Bulger said all hiring decisions in the Highway Department are at the discretion of Highway Superintendent Kevin Hawley and do not need to be advertised. Hawley could not be reached for comment.

Bulger added that Planty is qualified for the position, has experience and a commercial driver’s license.

But Warren Goodnow, a Colton resident whose taxes more than doubled this year, said he was upset with the hire for two reasons. Goodnow said that while Planty may very well be qualified for the position, it’s good practice to advertise when hiring someone to work for the taxpayers.

“I have nothing against the kid they hired. He may be the best guy for the job,” he said. “But the fact that they met with the attorney before the meeting tells you something,” he said.

Aside from the perceived nepotism, Goodnow questions whether the job should have been filled at all. He said a recent settlement with Brookfield Renewables forced the town to do a full revaluation of property taxes. The assessment hike drove the average home value up by roughly 10 to 30 percent, but waterfront properties saw assessments more than double and owners are paying thousands more in taxes.

Goodnow said he went before the board in August of 2015 and asked the council to take a hard look at the budget and thoroughly consider not filling any jobs that become vacant.

“I don’t want anyone to get laid off. But with this situation I think the town has to reconsider what it can afford,” he said.

Goodnow says the town of Colton maintains 50 miles of town roads and about 2.5 miles of county roads and employs seven full-time people and a highway superintendent.

“We still have two men in our snow plow trucks. Things have got to change. The old days are over with now,” he said.

Goodnow pointed out that the Town of Stockholm maintains 95 miles of town roads and 28 miles of county roads with only five employees and the superintendent.

He said Brasher’s highway department maintains 65 miles of town roads, 34 miles of county roads and 9 miles of state roads with just three employees.

Bulger said he understands the taxpayers’ frustration, but says the town board always scrutinizes the budget and considers whether or not a job is necessary when an opening arises.

“I think that’s always being looked at. When we went into doing the budget this year, it was a consideration. In this case the highway superintendent decided the job was necessary,” he said.

Bulger said Colton’s tax rate is relatively low compared with other towns despite the shift in assessments.

Colton’s tax levy for 2016 is about $1.7 million, up about $100,000 from 2015.

But Goodnow says the new reality in Colton must be considered.

“We can’t go on like this. It’s not sustainable. People are going to move out,” he said.