The president of the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES Board of Education is asking that people stop sending him money to help him pay off tax debt.
Kent Brandstetter, the Auburn Enlarged City School District's representative on the BOCES board, said Monday that he has put every penny donated to him into paying off his property tax bill with the city, and that he will make good on the rest of the balance. He said he is finalizing an arrangement with the city to pay off the balance of what is owed.
Brandstetter's request comes a couple of weeks after his friend, Auburn board of education member Joe Leogrande, sent out roughly 1,700 e-mails asking the community to help Brandstetter. More funds have come in since March 14, when Leogrande said about $1,700 had been raised, but Brandstetter declined to reveal the total amount raised.
Brandstetter said he has been touched by the positive response but has also seen a small amount of negative feedback. Now, he said, he just wants to move on.
“I just need to fulfill the obligation at this point,” he said.
As of two weeks ago, Brandstetter owed $15,552.75 in back property taxes, interest and penalties, City Treasurer Robert Gauthier had said. Brandstetter has until June to pay back about $7,605 before losing his Franklin Street home to foreclosure.
When the news first broke about Brandstetter's situation, Leogrande made his public appeal for help.
“He just has been struggling just to make ends meet to support 10 children, trying to keep his house in order, keep his kids warm and fed,” he wrote in an e-mail seeking donations.
Leogrande said Monday that he will respect Brandstetter's wishes and stop the fundraising effort. Responding to critics who questioned why there should be an appeal for a public official who has fallen behind on taxes, Leogrande said he was merely acting as a friend.
“Everybody should help their friends in need,” he said.
An active volunteer for many community organizations, Brandstetter has worked as a truck driver for many years, but the job is seasonal in nature. He said he is laid off three to four months a year, during which time he collects unemployment compensation.
He said falling behind in taxes was something that just happened little by little, as he struggled to make ends meet.
“It wasn't out of arrogance,” he said.
Brandstetter said he and his wife are writing thank-you notes to all the individual donors who made contributions.
Brandstetter's request comes a couple of weeks after his friend, Auburn board of education member Joe Leogrande, sent out roughly 1,700 e-mails asking the community to help Brandstetter. More funds have come in since March 14, when Leogrande said about $1,700 had been raised, but Brandstetter declined to reveal the total amount raised.
Brandstetter said he has been touched by the positive response but has also seen a small amount of negative feedback. Now, he said, he just wants to move on.
“I just need to fulfill the obligation at this point,” he said.
As of two weeks ago, Brandstetter owed $15,552.75 in back property taxes, interest and penalties, City Treasurer Robert Gauthier had said. Brandstetter has until June to pay back about $7,605 before losing his Franklin Street home to foreclosure.
When the news first broke about Brandstetter's situation, Leogrande made his public appeal for help.
“He just has been struggling just to make ends meet to support 10 children, trying to keep his house in order, keep his kids warm and fed,” he wrote in an e-mail seeking donations.
Leogrande said Monday that he will respect Brandstetter's wishes and stop the fundraising effort. Responding to critics who questioned why there should be an appeal for a public official who has fallen behind on taxes, Leogrande said he was merely acting as a friend.
“Everybody should help their friends in need,” he said.
An active volunteer for many community organizations, Brandstetter has worked as a truck driver for many years, but the job is seasonal in nature. He said he is laid off three to four months a year, during which time he collects unemployment compensation.
He said falling behind in taxes was something that just happened little by little, as he struggled to make ends meet.
“It wasn't out of arrogance,” he said.
Brandstetter said he and his wife are writing thank-you notes to all the individual donors who made contributions.
The Citizens' Say
There are 6 comment(s)
tru2me wrote on Mar 26, 2008 8:07 AM:
brew1234 wrote on Mar 26, 2008 1:50 AM:
jane doe wrote on Mar 25, 2008 4:52 PM:
I can understand falling behind with taxes - I can't, in good faith, understand the acceptance of donations after an email campaign to solicit them, and the comment about sending out thank you notes is just absurd and makes none of this go away or look any better.
There's more than one fool in this story. "
nature lover wrote on Mar 25, 2008 3:42 PM:
forrest wrote on Mar 25, 2008 3:06 PM:
ExAubrnian wrote on Mar 25, 2008 12:55 PM: