THE TOWN OF SELDEN, NEW YORK, located on Long Island, has a funny set of principles. The volunteer fire department is one of those that awards \”points\” for departmental activity and when a member reaches age 55 they may \”retire\” and draw a pension funded by the taxpayers. The department is overseen by a board of fire commissioners.
![](\"http://firegeezer.com/?pp_album=main&pp_cat=stations&pp_image=selden_a.jpg\"){kind=link}
Earlier this year, five of the fire commissioners were convicted of stealing more than $50,000 of fire district funds from the taxpayers. Four of these five are members of the volunteer fire department and are still eligible to draw a stipend from the same taxpayers that they stole from.
One of the members of the VFD is outraged over this and tried to have charges brought against the miscreants. But the Fire Chief is having none of it. Selden Fire Chief John Bartnik wrote that because the five committed the thefts \”in their capacity as Fire Commissioners and not as volunteers, I believe the department is not the appropriate agency to commence any disciplinary proceedings.\”
However, that may change after the taxpayers learn about it from the story in today\’s Newsday HERE.
For background on how they pilfered the funds, read THIS.
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