More Distortions

“Tom Gormley is spending like crazy trying to withhold fiscal 

information about the Fire Dept. Treasury. Gormley is withholding fiscal 

information while trying to raise our taxes.”

Incorrect.  Town Hall turned over a boat-load of information regarding various Town departments including the MVFD budget information to Mr. DeAngelis. This information was in regard to funds that are derived from taxpayer money.  The Town of Middlebury, nor the MVFD has an obligation to hand over information regarding the private funds of the MVFD INC.  These are funds that are not derived from taxpayer money.

Mr. DeAngelis’s statement serves only to attack the present administration for the benefit of Mr. St. John, who appears to be using Mr. DeAngelis as his attack dog.

          “On Sept. 4, two attorneys spent at least 10 hours of your taxpayers 

money  trying to find ways to NOT give information fiscal information to a 

Middlebury taxpayer. The Chief Financial Officer of the town also had to 

waste a day in order to appear at the hearing. “

Incorrect again.  Middlebury taxpayers paid for one lawyer to show up and protect the Town’s interests at the FOI hearing in Hartford.  The second lawyer was hired by the MVFD and is being paid from MVFD INC. funds, and not from taxpayer money.  This was a hearing which Mr. DeAngelis requested not the MVFD, nor the Town.  Mr. DeAngelis pontificates how much money is being spent, yet he remains oblivious that he is the one who is the cause of this waste of taxpayer and MVFD INC. money. 

The only reason why the Chief Financial Officer and the Town Attorney appeared at the FOI hearing was that Mr. DeAngelis subpoenaed Mr. Belden.  The Town attorney was not going to allow Mr. Belden to attend such an event without legal representation.  What was Mr. Belden asked? He was questioned by Mr. DeAngelis's lawyer about elements in the MVFD budget - something that could have easily been answered by the Fire Chief who was sitting steps away. It put Mr. Belden through undue stress and served absolutely no purpose. Another example of wasting taxpayer money without a single appreciable benefit.

As of early this year, Town Hall reported that they had already spent over $20,000.00 to fulfill Mr. DeAngelis’s frivolous FOIs. Can anyone name one concrete piece of information that justifies the $20,000.00?  What benefit has the community realized from any of these FOIs?  Not one thing.  They are purely an instrument of harassment. 

Mr. DeAngelis criticizes Tom Gormley and Bob Desmarais for excessive spending even though they have cut the Town budget by 2.38%.  Yet, he has no problem asking taxpayers to fund his FOI requests. 

      “ If you look at Middlebury you will see that we are rapidly approaching 

the spending of $ 50,000.00 for no other reason than to withhold fiscal 

information from a taxpayer. “

Again, incorrect statement.  Mr. DeAngelis has no knowledge of the actual amount.  It is a made up number.  

Its not cheap to have the Town Attorney travel to Hartford and spend almost four hours at an FOI hearing.  But, certainly Mr. DeAngelis is spending quite a bit of money himself paying his attorney as well.  Funny, he seems to be more concerned about taxpayer money being wasted on a lawyer than he is about wasting his own money on his lawyer.   That is never even mentioned. Perhaps Mr. Buckley is doing the work free of charge.  Perhaps, someone else is paying for Mr. DeAngelis’s lawyer. The big question; is all this worth it to Mr. DeAngelis?  Does the payout justify the results? In the end who will benefit?

The taxpayers are not lining up in front of Town Hall with torches, demanding to know how the MVFD Inc. spends their private funds that are not derived from taxpayer money.  Only Mr. DeAngelis is doing so. In the public eye he stands alone and by himself.  Is Mr. DeAngelis really a mean guy, or is he just being set up? 

Middlebury residents are quite aware of what the Fire Department does for this community.  They know the MVFD will be there to help them, when there is just no one else to call. From something as serious as a fully-involved structure fire,  to rescuing a kitten from a tree.  The MVFD will always be there.  Middlebury is blessed with wonderful Police and Fire Departments. The organizations are one of integrity and honor.

This is a bitter, hateful vendetta that exists and is perpetuated by Mr. DeAngelis.