A majority of Woodstock’s town board wants Level 3 sex offender Michael Innello out of a job, a move that spun the July 22 board meeting into chaos.
Councilmember and unchallenged Democratic town supervisor candidate Anula Courtis presented a resolution to rescind Innello’s job effective immediately.
“The town supervisor has publicly acknowledged that material information relevant to the hiring was not disclosed to the town board prior to its consideration and approval of these resolutions,” stated her resolution in part. [Whereas] “The omission of this information prevented the town board from making a fully informed decision, thereby compromising the integrity of the hiring process.”
The resolution terminated Innello’s employment on the basis that he was unable to complete his probationary period.
Councilmember Bennet Ratcliff seconded the motion.
Supervisor Bill McKenna immediately moved to table it. There were audience screams of “No” and “Liar.”
McKenna called Courtis’ motion an illegal resolution because the board could not fire an employee. Ratcliff countered that Innello was not being fired. Rather, his probationary period was being terminated.
McKenna tried to press onward to other business on the agenda. His effort failed. A vote was called.
Ratcliff, Courtis and Maria-Elena Conte voted in favor. McKenna and councilmember Laura Ricci did not vote.
McKenna then tried to get through the rest of the town business, but the three-person majority abstained each time. Courtis told McKenna he did not get to “plow forward.”
Ricci said the state’s online sex-offender registry stated that information about offenses could not be used to harm that person. She said Innello was required to maintain and keep employment.
“If we fire the employee, what we are saying, first of all, is we’re violating what the first line on that page says,” Ricci said.
Courtis noted that a requested executive session “went to hell in a handbasket” because McKenna had invited non-town board members into the room.
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