The D.D.111 report reveals little known details about the Johnson-Landgate scandal and how it all began.
The property known as Johnson-Landgate which is located off of Stafford Road and where the Johnson family illegally built two dwellings is one of the 5 properties mentioned under category V in the D.D.111 report. According to the report, Earl Johnson signed the deed as selectman and conveyed the 12 plus acre parcel over to his mother in law without first paying the $1,200 purchase price mentioned on the deed.
The report further states that the Johnson’s cheated the town out of a large sum of money by not paying any property taxes for 14 years on the property. Earl Johnson deeded the property over to his mother in law back in 1980 instead of putting it up for public auction. Earl Johnson was one of the selectmen at the time.
The unassuming voters repeatedly re-elected Earl Johnson for different positions between 1980 and 1994. As today, Earl Johnson was also one of the tax assessors back in the early 1990’s.
According to the report, more than 500 properties “escaped” his (Earl Johnson's) attention as tax assessor.
The report further states that Earl Johnson, as a member of the board of assessors, failed to commit assessed values to the tax collector. The tax collector was unable to collect taxes on those properties; the taxes she collected she embezzled.
It was in 1994 when Jim Foley was elected to serve on the board of selectmen. Instead of joining the “party,” he started cleaning house.
The tax collector, Jean Rozema, eventually was convicted of embezzling $110,000 and ended up in jail; the loss of revenue caused by Earl Johnson and his friends serving on the assessor’s board amounted to $60,707.77 for the properties mentioned in the D.D.111 report, and another $183,000 for uncollected taxes on other properties.
Jim Foley tried to get the District Attorney’s office involved and filed a complaint with the ethics commission against Earl Johnson whereupon Earl Johnson resigned. The Ethics commission only investigates officials still in office. Informed residents are aware of the fact that Earl Johnson resigned from the Planning Board last year. This happened around the time I filed my complaint in which I request the demolishment of the two dwellings illegally built by the Johnson’s, (Land-gate scandal).
Again, as back in 1994, Earl Johnson resigned and avoided thereby being investigated by the State Ethics Commission.
History is doomed to repeat itself again; Earl Johnson intends to “serve” another three year term. His name is on the ballot one more time for the assessors position which is up for re-election.
Organizers of the write-in campaign intend to reveal an alternative candidate before the annual town election.
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As always, bold/italic words or terms are links, click on any link to read the document. Click here to read the D.D.111 report.
Peter Frei