Bergenfield taxpayers will not have to bear the brunt of almost $200,000 stolen in 2007, allegedly by a former deputy tax collector.
Marlon Mikesell was arrested in March of that year on charges of stealing what at the time was thought to be about $16,000. By the end of the year, borough officials upped that figure to $196,000.
Officials from the County Joint Insurance Fund (JIF) announced they would pick up the tab for the stolen tax money.
Mayor Timothy Driscoll said that Borough Attorney Martin Durkin was notified by fax on June 19 that the JIF will pay back the money.
"Finally it all worked out," the mayor said. "The borough will not have to pay the money back."
Driscoll read a statement on the matter at last week’s council meeting.
"Most of you have probably read in the newspapers that we were just informed by the JIF that we will not have to pay money back," he told the assemblage of about 40 people who attended the meeting.
Driscoll also thanked Durkin "for all of the hard work that he did on this."
Before the meeting, the mayor said a letter was sent to the JIF three weeks ago, informing them that borough officials felt the incident was a "covered event" under its insurance policy, "and that we would not pay it back."
"And they responded to our borough attorney that we wouldn’t," he said.
Driscoll said that unless the court that hears the case against Mikesell orders restitution, the borough might try to sue him "to return the money to the JIF."
Mikesell was also arrested earlier this year on charges of possessing and attempting to distribute child pornography and theft again, this time involving the Bergenfield After School program that he administered while he was employed by the borough.
In his most recent arrest, Mikesell has been charged with theft, identity theft and official misconduct in connection with the theft of $40,000 from the after-school program.
The program, although it was not funded by tax dollars, was administered by the borough.
