Further changes to the Town of North Hempstead’s ethics code and financial disclosure process could come within “a few months,” a town spokeswoman said, following issues with former senior adviser Robert Troiano’s tax liens.
Blank Slate Media previously reported that Troiano listed $81,533 in federal income tax liens and a $749,264 lien on a house he owned facing foreclosure on his 2016 financial disclosure, but that he failed to list federal tax liens on at least one financial disclosure form before that.
At the time, town spokeswoman Carole Trottere said this suggested the financial disclosure process “needs to be tightened further” and town officials “are doing that,” with a new requirement stating senior appointees must submit financial disclosures prior to being employed with the town.
She also said no tax liens were listed on earlier financial disclosure forms.
Trottere, after consulting with Town Attorney Elizabeth Botwin, highlighted the previous statement given to Blank Slate Media saying officials are “continuing to review and enhance our policies and procedures as needed.”
“As of now this previous statement … is still accurate,” Trottere said via email on Tuesday. “Any announcement regarding new policies and procedures would be a few months out.”
When asked to clarify how many months was meant and how many senior appointees are affected by the change, Trottere said she “cannot be more specific than what I stated.”
Messages left for Town Board members Viviana Russell, Peter Zuckerman, Angelo Ferrara, Anna Kaplan, Lee Seeman, and Dina De Giorgio requesting comment on changes being considered for the ethics code and financial disclosure were not returned.
Between 2014 and 2017, Troiano served as the town’s director of operations and as the senior policy adviser to Supervisor Judi Bosworth. He left the town to join County Executive Laura Curran’s administration in January as a commissioner for traffic and parking violations.
A day before his confirmation hearing, Troiano stepped down as acting commissioner for traffic and parking violations after his tax issues were revealed.
Troiano maintains that he left for other reasons.
Troiano was later appointed as a director of special projects in the county Board of Elections with a salary of $140,000 per year.
It is unclear whether the Curran administration or campaign officials were aware of Troiano’s tax liens.
A year ago, the town announced it had strengthened its ethics codes following disclosures that Gerard Terry, the former head of the North Hempstead Democratic Committee who held two jobs in the town, racked up nearly $1 million in unpaid state and federal taxes between 2000 and 2017.
Terry pleaded guilty to tax fraud in September.
Among the changes were requiring town employees to include more information in financial disclosures and beginning to reinforce a 25-year-old rule mandating town political committee leaders file financial disclosure forms.
