Enfield Tax Collector Submits Resignation Letter To Town Officials

ENFIELD, CT — Collector of Revenue Todd Helems has given his two-week notice of resignation to Enfield officials, and will be assuming the assessor's position with the town of Vernon.

The last day of employment for Helems in Enfield will be March 5, according to his resignation letter submitted Wednesday to Finance Director John Wilcox.

Helems, the former assessor for the town of Bloomfield, was originally hired for the position of Supervisor of Assessment and Revenue Collection, at a starting salary of $120,274, and succeeded the retiring Della Froment on June 1, 2021, in the midst of the 2021 revaluation. Upon his departure, he is earning a salary of $131,746, according to documents provided by the town's human resources department following a Freedom of Information Act request from Patch.

Shortly after starting work in Enfield, he became the subject of intense scrutiny, as a "vocal and concerted public effort to discredit Helems developed" during the revaluation process, according to an independent review and evaluation of the 2021 revaluation, released in 2023.

One paragraph in that review stated:

"The majority of the criticism levied against Helems stemmed from his handling of PA490 farmland, forest land and open space classifications and the exemption status of certain charitable organizations. Helems drew heavy criticism from the Enfield Board of Assessment Appeals (“BAA”) and its individual members, Chairman Thomas Tyler, Lori Longhi and Donna Dubanoski. The BAA criticized policies implemented by Helems which they characterized as infringing on their Board’s autonomy. They also publicly questioned his qualifications and credentials and accused him of attempting to intimidate or bully taxpayers who challenged his assessment of their properties."

The review concluded, "Helems generally complied with his statutory mandates and adhered to accepted best practices." However, the report concluded "there were interpersonal

shortcomings. The office of the assessor is required to engage with the public and to convey assessment information to the town’s taxpayers in a timely and clear manner. One of the
principal complaints lodged against Mr. Helems was that he appeared indifferent and
unresponsive to the public."

Last November, a memorandum of agreement between the town and CSEA Local 2001, a supervisory union to which Helems belongs, enabled the town to return to its former business model and divided the Supervisor of Assessment and Revenue Collection into two job descriptions. Helems maintained the title Collector of Revenue, and non-union member Victoria Rose assumed the duties of acting assessor.