City assessor resigns over hiring issue

By John Howell
Posted 1/4/18

By JOHN HOWELL -- Tax Assessor Christopher Celeste, who played a key role in addressing a high volume of contested property assessments and in implementing a citywide full revaluation, has resigned under duress.

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City assessor resigns over hiring issue

Posted

Tax Assessor Christopher Celeste, who played a key role in addressing a high volume of contested property assessments and in implementing a citywide full revaluation, has resigned under duress.

According to reports, Celeste was dismissed after seeking to fill the position of deputy director with a candidate who failed to have the degree qualifications as directed by the administration.

In a statement responding to questions, Mayor Scott Avedisian said, “Mr. Celeste submitted his resignation a few days before Christmas. I thank him for his service and wish him well in the future.”

The deputy assessor’s job became vacant about a month ago and was posted. The job has a salary range of $64,279 to $78,677. The job was reposted with the educational requirements – a bachelor’s degree, preferably with a concentration in accounting and finance – according to City Personnel Director Jeanne Bouchard. She said that there have been several applicants for the job and that the posting came down Wednesday.

The assessor’s job, with a salary range of $92,882 to $109,273, was advertised last week and will remain posted until Jan. 10.

“When I heard he had been fired I was shocked,” said Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur.

Ladouceur said his initial reaction to the assessor was not positive, but as he worked with him, “I grew to have a pretty good respect for Chris Celeste.” Ladouceur said Celeste cleaned up problems that other people had allowed to happen.

Specifically, Ladouceur said Celeste was instrumental in cracking down on those who failed to pay their sewer and water bills before they reached a point where their property went to a tax sale. Ladouceur pushed for a system of delinquency notices and water shutoffs to help people from reaching a point where they couldn’t pay and faced potentially even greater hardship with the loss of their property.

Ladouceur said he heard that Celeste was pushing to hire a specific candidate and that there were questions over if they meet the qualifications. He said he felt the administration could have been “more compassionate” and delayed action until after Christmas.

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Comments

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  • richardcorrente

    This can't be what really happened.

    The tax assessor is required to submit a candidate that he/she feels is the best choice for the deputy assessors job.

    He did.

    Then he got fired just before Christmas.

    There is more to this than is printed here. There has to be. He was doing his job! He should be commended for his choice, even if it was not an acceptable candidate to the Mayor. Some of the people I respect the most are the ones that agree with me sometimes and disagree when they feel otherwise. It's called leadership. Chris Celeste was projecting leadership.

    Sorry Chris. That was wrong.

    Happy 2018 everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Thursday, January 4, 2018 Report this

  • patientman

    Fired over a disagreement on a potential hire? I don't think so.

    Thursday, January 4, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    One qualification for candidacy should be the ability to understand plain English. The city has written requirements for deputy tax assessor, and the former assessor did not follow them.

    The fake "mayor" thus shows.yet again a complete disregard for the laws and rules of the city. Honest, taxpaying voters will overwhelmingly reject his candidacy again this November for this and many other reasons that he is only too happy to keep proving.

    Thursday, January 4, 2018 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Crick,

    Truly unfortunate but I do understand your position, However, one need not look very far to see how many positions that the mayor has filled in the name of nepotism with people not qualified for the position. This has happened for years under titles such as "Acting Director" or "Interim Director"... etc...

    Micro managing has never worked in any scenario. They mayors ego has been micro managing the city for years, and there have been numerous appointments for candidates not qualified. No need to name names out of respect.

    Thursday, January 4, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Hi Thecaptain:

    I do feel that nepotism is a problem in the city, and hope that this enforcement of objective qualifications for a city job is not an isolated incident. That said, the fake "mayor's" suggestions that "this can't be what really happened" [while providing no evidence to support his delusional claim] and that his personal feelings toward a city employee who flouted established rules should determine that person's continued employment can hardly be considered an acceptable alternative.

    I look forward to joining you and tens of thousands of honest, taxpaying voters who will overwhelmingly reject his candidacy again this November, and thank you for continuing to remove his clearly illegal campaign signage from local traffic signal boxes.

    Friday, January 5, 2018 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    I was thinking that the next round of campaign signs that are attached to the traffic signal control boxes should be turned upside down, which would be indicative of the fake mayors equity position relative to property investments in the city. Your thoughts?

    Friday, January 5, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Anything that underscores how poor of a candidate he is, Thecaptain. Not everyone in the city reads this website and sees how readily he displays a pathetic need to make a spectacle of himself; for those who don't read his repeatedly disproven statements, a public showing is also in order.

    Monday, January 8, 2018 Report this