In the town of Somers, Connecticut a local town official First Selectmen C.G. “Bud” Knorr has suffered an unprecedented move from the GOP: Censure. According to the resolution outlining the allegations against him Knorr, “with the help of Chief Financial Officer Mike Marinaccio betrayed the trust of this committee and the town by giving himself a pay raise and a bonus without the knowledge or consent of the Board of Selectmen.”
Self-Enrichment Isn’t Just a Democrat Move
The Journal Inquirer reported that, “In June 2020 Knorr, in doling out raises and $32,000 in bonuses to town employees on his own, also gave himself a 4 percent raise and the largest bonus of all at $3,000. When controversy arose about his actions, he rescinded his raise, gave back his bonus, and apologized.”
Knorr responded that the controversy was artificial and that everything regarding his pay raise and bonus were ” thoroughly vetted and resolved with public comments, Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance meetings, and a review by the town attorney “where there were no violations of laws, state statues, town charter, town ordinances or ethics rules that occurred, and that questions of impropriety and legality were unfounded.”
What is really happening in the small Connecticut town according to Knorr is a politically motivated vendetta which followed efforts to alter the structure of the town’s government. This supposedly emerged from Knorr’s move with Democrat Selectmean Timoth Potrikus to alter the government without seeking input from the voters.
Apparently with a third selectman absent on business they worked together to reduce the First Selectman’s role to basically a part-time job along with his compensation and created a new role of “Chief Operating Officer” who would report to the Board of Selectman. Seems like kind of a fundamental alteration of the towns government doesn’t it?
The Moral of The Story- Censure Means Something
It’s a lesson that Republicans nationwide can take to heart and some in Congress should pay particular attention to: when you work with the Democrats thinking that you’re going to enrich yourself while turning your back on your own party and your constituents: You will be caught. Unlike the Democrats who operate the most corrupt cities in America, conservatives and Republicans tend to take a dim view of disloyalty not only to the party, but to the taxpayer.
