The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
ONGOING ISSUE
Oneida chamberlain case deepens
ONEIDA, N.Y. >> The ongoing case against former Oneida chamberlain Nancy Andrews has intensified since current City Chamberlain Anna Hood discovered an additional $380,000 found missing from city coffers.
“The money was marked as paid, but not to the city,” Hood said. “I can only imagine how it was spent.”
Hood said she found the additional missing amount while reviewing city records.
“I am not sure how much of what I’ve found is part of what has been reported, but I have forwarded my findings on to the district attorney’s office,” she said.
Law enforcement officers arrested former Oneida City Chamberlain Nancy Andrews in November. Officials allege that Andrews, 77, stole $78,881.55 in tax, water, and sewer payments that were made in cash between 2012 and 2020. They also allege that Andrews concealed the thefts with a Ponzi-like scheme by applying one property owner’s payment to another.
The charges include grand larceny, corrupting the government, falsifying business records, and tampering with public records, all felonies. Andrews was arraigned in Oneida City Court before Judge Michael J. Misiaszek and was due back in city court Nov. 10. Andrews is out on bail and her case has since been moved to county court. Court officials have no information on when her next appearance will be.
Officials allege Andrews spent the stolen money on social outings with friends and pull-tab games at the American Legion Hall in Oneida.
In 2012, lawmakers found a sizable amount of unpaid taxes dating back
“I am not sure how much of what I’ve found is part of what has been reported, but I have forwarded my findings on to the district attorney’s office.” — City Chamberlain Anna Hood
to 2007 were missing. Most of the people who had paid their taxes brought in receipts showing they paid their property, school, and water taxes. The city hired an independent accounting firm to conduct an audit.
The audit results were forwarded to the Madison County District Attorney’s Office. After reviewing the audit the county forwarded the finding to the state comptroller’s office.
“For over a decade, Andrews allegedly betrayed her office and the trust of her community to fund her social life and gamble with public money,” State Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli said in a previous statement. “This was a blatant abuse of her office and an affront to Oneida taxpayers. I thank my investigators, District Attorney Gabor, and the New York State Police for their work in uncovering this theft.”
Andrews served as chamberlain from 1998 until her term expired in 2021. She left her position in February 2021 on medical leave. Hood ran as a Republican and was elected chamberlain in November 2021. Hood had run on the promise of shared services with Madison County and to help reduce office costs.
“I thought the city should be run like a business, and this vote could help make our tax collections easier,”
Hood said. “I had wanted to come in, clean up the position, make it more techfriendly and make it better for the next person.”
The City of Oneida’s Common Council voted in June to eliminate their city chamberlain as an elected position and change it to city-appointed. Oneida Mayor Helen Acker recommended eliminating the position in order to allow the city more control over the chamberlain’s duties.
If the position were appointed by the city, it would have had more direct input into the chamberlain’s activities, and established more checks and balances with city tax collection.
“I think it’s a good idea,” Hood said before the vote. “If the position is changed then we will have a chance to open up more opportunities for cooperation with Madison County at less cost to the city.”
City residents voted to keep or change the chamberlain’s status as elected during the general election Nov. 8.
“The election really didn’t have any impact on how I do my job,” she said.
Hood has used her fouryear degree business degree from SUNY Oneonta to keep the chamberlain’s office running efficiently, and she follows a three-person system introduced by Acker to maintain record-keeping integrity. The city has installed a new software system, and Oneida city police accompany Hood when she deposits collections in the bank.
The city chamberlain is responsible for the collection and custody of all public funds belonging to or handled by the city, including property taxes, water, and sewer rents, special assessments, and earnings from various city departments.
Hood said the city collects throughout the year. Water bills are collected four times a year. Parking tickets and other fines are collected year-round. The city school district will send unpaid school taxes to the chamberlain’s office. Property taxes, city and county taxes on the 4,057 properties in the city, are collected beginning each January. “January is a crazy time,” she said.
“For over a decade, Andrews allegedly betrayed her office and the trust of her community to fund her social life and gamble with public money. This was a blatant abuse of her office and an affront to Oneida taxpayers.”
— State Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli