Fred Larson
UPDATED 8/16/24
A resolution requesting the State Comptroller investigate a former Housing Court Judge for illegally receiving city retiree benefits is coming before the Jamestown City Council.
In the agenda for the Monday, August 19 work session, the staff report for the resolution states that Fred Larson, a retired Jamestown Housing Court Judge and a current County Legislator, entered into an illegal agreement with former Mayor Eddie Sundquist “…in which he and his wife obtained City of Jamestown dental insurance, which he was not entitled to as he was never a City employee.”
The resolution states the city has terminated the benefits and requested multiple times that Larson repay the funds expended. The staff report said that $1,576.70 in dental benefits were provided.
The resolution requests an investigation by the New York State Comptroller of the receipt of the benefits by Larson, that the city administration take action to obtain full restitution from Larson, including the hiring of outside legal counsel and beginning litigation if necessary.
Larson served as judge from 2014 to 2021. He currently represents a portion of the city in the County Legislature.
Larson responded to WRFA with a statement that says,
“The Agreement I signed regarding retiree dental insurance was prepared by the City’s Corporation Counsel.
If someone at City Hall has a problem with this, it is a problem with their own attorney, not me.
I was the first City Court Judge to retire since Judge Sam Alessi retired in 1993. I knew that he had City health insurance benefits when he retired. I understood that I would at least have retiree dental insurance when I had mandatory retirement at age 70.The Court system said a City could offer retiree benefits to City Court Judges.
The defamatory Resolution before the City Council could not have been prepared by the City’s Corporation Counsel. The public has a right to know who is behind this abomination.”
According to the resolution, Larson enrolled in the city’s retirement dental benefits program when he retired in 2021, with the City Administration cancelling that coverage on March 1, 2022 due to his ineligibility.
On April 8, 2022, the resolution states that Larson signed a confidential agreement with former Mayor Sundquist allowing Larson and his wife to rejoin the City retiree dental program.
According to the resolution, the confidential agreement had the language, “this agreement shall not be made public by either party for any reason.” The City contends that since Jamestown City Council was not aware of the agreement and did not approve the agreement, the agreement is in violation of State General City Law, which states that a city “shall have no power … to grant extra compensation to any public officer, servant, or contractor” beyond any amount that constitutes a legally binding obligation.
The resolution also says the agreement violates the State Constitution, which prohibits a municipality from making a gift of any money to any individual.
City Council will review the resolution at its work session at 7:30 p.m., Monday, August 19 in the Police Training Room on the fourth floor of City Hall. The meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed on jamestownny.gov.
This Judge was also being “Paid Off” by Landlords! I sat there while money changed hands, by the Home inspector, at the time, to the judge, and I was given 3 days to move!
This is a true statement, my sister was there with me as well!