Letters to the Editor


Facts about Resignation of Park Superintendent

October 15, 1998 - There has been much misinformation relating to the resignation of our former Park Superintendent and the criminal charge of Official Misconduct. We would, therefore, like to share the following:

In mid-July Councilman Bruce Brent noticed two RVs parked on one site in the Hickories Campground. After checking the payment records, it was discovered that not only was there not payment for two RVs, there was no payment at all. It became apparent that, although the campground was regularly full, the Town was not receiving payment for at least 20 sites out of 57 in the upper campground. Consulting with the Town Attorney, we were advised to turn the matter over to the Tioga County Sheriff's Investigative Unit.

The investigator requested no one be told about the investigation until it was completed. On completion of the investigation, the investigator showed all the evidence he had collected to the full Town Board. He asked that the information be kept confidential since he had not yet questioned Mr. Hammond. Interestingly, when Mr. Hammond was questioned 36 hours later, he knew of the charges being made against him.

During one week alone, based on the investigator's count of occupied sites, the records and payments provided by Mr. Hammond were short by 169 daily rental payments. Therefore the Town lost revenue during this week of $2197 (169 x $13/site). There also appeared to be numerous sites that had been occupied all summer for which the Town received no payment.

After getting copies of the checks that Mr. Hammond was directly depositing into the bank, it was discovered that many times the checks did not match up with the receipts. Some campers who paid by check were not being given receipts and these checks were being used to cover other receipts. Also, it was discovered that frequently some campers who paid by cash were unknowingly given receipts showing they paid by check. Where their cash ended up is a mystery.

Upon questioning, Mr. Hammond admitted to falsifying camping receipts, using payments by some campers to cover others who had not paid, allowing some campers to leave their RVs on a site for long periods of time charging them only for the days that they were in residence, letting some campers stay for free and for allowing his business associate to occupy two sites all summer, supposedly in exchange for some repair work done on a town vehicle. (The Town Board had no knowledge of any such arrangement.)

In May of this year, without Town Board approval, Mr. Hammond created additional electrical sites by the river (next to where Mr. Hammond stayed all summer). The cost to install these sites was $2,850. By his own admission, Mr. Hammond rarely collected for these sites. This omission cost the Town $5,000 in lost revenue.

Lastly, it is interesting to compare camping fees collected since Mr. Hammond's resignation in August. For the two week period prior and the one week period following Labor Day 1998 total fees collected were $16,598. The fees collected by Mr. Hammond during the one week prior and the two weeks following July 4, 1998, were $12,984. The Labor Day 1998 fees collected are 28% greater than the July 4, 1998, fees. During the July 4th period the park was at full capacity with a sign posted to that effect. Additionally, the fees collected by Mr. Hammond for the two weeks prior and one week following Labor Day in 1997 were $9,552. The fees collected around Labor Day 1998 were 74 percent greater than Labor Day 1997.

In published articles, Mr. Hammond claimed he was merely helping the homeless and people who could not afford to pay. It is stretching the imagination to believe that people arriving in RVs valued between $10,000 and $100,000 are either homeless or unable to pay $13 per night to camp. There was clearly deceit and serious falsification of records leading to the loss of thousands of dollars of revenue for the taxpayers of the Town of Owego.

The Town Supervisor, as Chief Fiscal Officer, has the responsibility to implement proper fiscal controls for all aspects of the Town's operations. In the Spring of 1997, the Supervisor's office audited the Park's records and found fiscal controls to be seriously lacking. After consulting with other Parks about procedures and controls, new procedures and controls were instituted in August 1997. Without these new procedures this matter might never have been discovered.

Carol B. Sweeney

Bruce A. Brent

Supervisor, Town of Owego Councilman and Deputy Supervisor Chairman, Personnel and Finance Committee