Resident raises questions about sheriff spending, Inn on Main sale and calls for transparency

At the start of the meeting the board announced receipt of an email from resident Danielle Moffett that raised several concerns and requested further oversight. Moffett asked the Selectboard to "schedule a full audit of Williamstown's financial records covering the entirety of tenure" of the former town manager and asked that any board members with personal relationships recuse themselves from any investigative process.

Moffett also questioned the town's contract payments to the Orange County Sheriff, noting the town currently spends about $90,000 and that figure "might be increased to $110,000," and asked whether that expense remains justified in light of alleged violations by the sheriff. She asked about a prior sale and rapid demolition of the Inn on Main Street and whether the current owner was subject to fines or penalties for failing to meet post-sale conditions; the board said the property was demolished quickly and that time-limit conditions had been met per the town's records.

The board did not take immediate action on the email beyond discussion and later voted to commission a forensic audit; no formal finding about the sheriff contract or Inn penalties was made at the meeting.