Town employee in Carver fined for replacing private fence with town funds

A town foreman in Massachusetts has paid a $10,000 fine for using town resources to replace a fence on his private property. Christopher Vincent, a foreman in Carver’s Operations and Maintenance Department, admitted to violating the state’s conflict of interest law. The State Ethics Commission found that Vincent recommended the replacement of his fence to his supervisor, who agreed, and then instructed two department employees to carry out the work during public work hours in January 2023. The employees used over $500 worth of town materials and a town-owned truck to complete the job, taking one and a half public workdays. This violation resulted in a significant penalty for Vincent and raised concerns about public officials misusing public resources for personal gain. This incident follows another violation by John Woods, the deputy director of Carver’s Operations and Maintenance department, who also authorized the use of town resources for Vincent’s fence replacement. The State Ethics Commission is taking action against both employees to uphold the integrity of public service.

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