Tensions escalated between Woodstock Supervisor Bill McKenna and the town board during a special meeting Thursday morning, intensifying a crisis that has disrupted municipal services, jeopardized summer programming, and shaken public confidence. What began as a personnel controversy has grown into a broader governance breakdown—raising questions about transparency, fiscal management, and community safety.

At the center of the dispute is McKenna’s decision to hire Michael Innello, a Level 3 sex offender, without informing the town board or the police chief of Innello’s criminal history.

“We’re pushing for a fact-finding arbitration with the supervisor,” said Town Board member Anula Courtis. “We believe an independent third party should review the facts and help determine whether this employee’s past presents a challenge for us moving forward.”

McKenna said he is open to arbitration, though it would require board approval. Days earlier, he imposed a town-wide spending freeze, citing the board’s refusal to ratify payment vouchers. On July 31, he announced that a planned summer camp field trip would likely be canceled as a result.

On July 22, the town board voted 3–0 to rescind its earlier resolutions and terminate Innello’s employment “effective immediately,” citing material information that had been withheld during the hiring process. McKenna refused to vote, calling the resolution illegal. Board member Laura Ricci abstained.

As of July 31, McKenna had not filed the required personnel change form to formalize Innello’s termination. Innello, convicted in 2020, was paroled in December after serving roughly five years in prison. Woodstock hired him as a seasonal maintenance worker in March and later promoted him to full-time. The board approved both actions unaware of his criminal record.

McKenna, now in his fifth and final term, later admitted he was aware of Innello’s record before the board voted but did not disclose it to fellow board members or the police chief.

“I didn’t think it was pertinent,” McKenna previously told The Overlook. “It didn’t affect how he could do the job.”

Woodstock’s Chief of Police Clayton Keefe disagreed. “I absolutely should have been notified earlier,” he said.

The disclosure has triggered public outcry, ethics complaints, a petition, and a forthcoming protest on Aug. 9 calling for McKenna’s resignation. It has also deepened the rift between McKenna and the board, culminating in a written statement this week in which McKenna defended his decision and placed responsibility on board members.

“Councilpersons are elected officials who owe it to their constituents to do their due diligences,” he wrote. “Failure on their part to do so is not withholding information on my part.”

“Perhaps I made a mistake, maybe I owe my community an apology,” McKenna added in the written statement published Monday. “However, if I am wrong…then I am sorry.”

McKenna called Thursday’s closed-door executive session “productive.”

Board member Bennet Ratcliff disagreed.

“The answers to the questions were very shocking. And they were not detailed,” Ratcliff said. “Do I think it was productive? No.”

A Breakdown in Transparency

Board members Anula Courtis, Ratcliff, and Maria-Elena Conte have accused McKenna of stonewalling inquiries and withholding key information. Courtis, the unopposed Democratic nominee to succeed McKenna, is running for supervisor this November. Ratcliff and Conte are not seeking reelection.

According to sources, McKenna refused to identify who recommended Innello, referring only to a “mutual friend.”

He has not fully responded to 17 detailed questions from the board, including how Innello was recruited and whether a formal background check was conducted.

McKenna told The Overlook in an interview on Thursday he contacted references and spoke to law enforcement, but has not provided documentation.

Some residents have questioned whether McKenna’s confidential secretary, Melanie Marino, was involved in the hire. Marino declined to comment.

According to the Ulster County Sheriff’s Department, Marino and Innello both filed harassment complaints on July 17, citing social media threats after Innello’s sex offender status became public. Lt. Collin Reynolds said the complaints were similar in timing and “shared a nexus.” No charges have been filed.

Further complicating matters, a typographical error in the New York State Sex Offender Registry initially listed Innello’s workplace as “45 Comrov Drive”—a non-existent address—instead of the correct “45 Comeau Drive,” where the town offices are located.

According to an email obtained by The Overlook, the Division of Criminal Justice Services said the error stemmed from illegible handwriting on a form submitted by the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office. The registry entry has since been corrected. The agency noted that only home addresses—unless within 1,000 feet of a school—trigger automatic law enforcement notifications. The agency also noted that they do not fact-check change of address forms, and instead mail them directly to the Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Attention Beyond Woodstock

The controversy has drawn attention beyond Woodstock. The Florida Action Committee, a criminal justice reform group focused on the reintegration of sex offenders, praised McKenna’s hiring decision, calling it “principled leadership.”

In a July 29 blog post, the committee commended McKenna for offering a second chance to someone with a past conviction, stating he “acted with fairness and dignity.” The group argued that stable housing and employment reduce recidivism and criticized the termination as destabilizing.

But Woodstock resident Lisa Vianello and others pushed back, accusing the group of downplaying the seriousness of Innello’s crimes and misusing statistics that don’t account for the risks associated with Level 3 offenders. Under New York law, Level 3 sex offenders are considered to pose a high risk of repeat offense and are required to register for life.

Summer Camp, Safety, and Fallout

In late June, Innello was seen working near children at the Woodstock Summer Recreation Camp. Camp counselors Dahlia Boiardi and Denise Gordon said they saw Innello near the pool about 60 feet from children—contradicting McKenna’s claim that Innello was kept away from campers.

“We’re a town of forgiveness, but also of rage,” Boiardi said at a recent board meeting on July 22.

Gordon added, “It would have been good to know this sooner so we could feel safe.”

Camp Director Katey Abbott said she had not been fully briefed prior to the season. “Every staff member now knows exactly who this man is,” she said. “And if he is seen on site near the camp, we will go straight to the police department.”

Spending Freeze Sparks New Crisis

Following the board’s vote to terminate Innello, McKenna instituted a town-wide spending freeze, claiming his authority as fiscal officer and the board’s refusal to ratify certain payments.

“Because they won’t pay the bills,” McKenna said. “If we incur more debt and I’m not sure how we’re going to pay for it, it’s fiscally irresponsible. Maybe criminal.”

Board members call the freeze a political tactic.

“What Bill is doing is saying there’s not going to be toilet paper in the bathrooms,” Courtis said. “And so he is using this as a tool to try to force the board’s hand.”

Ratcliff said McKenna is misrepresenting standard procedure.

“Each month, the day before our second meeting, we get a stack of vouchers,” Ratcliff said. “We review each one and initial and date them. The actual vote to approve or reject those expenses happens at the board meeting.”

“We’ve asked him: which vouchers have been paid? Which haven’t? Of the unpaid ones, which does he consider emergencies? He’s refusing to break that down.”

Ricci defended McKenna. “The spending freeze is not about not paying current bills. We incurred these bills. We need to pay them,” she said, adding that the freeze was meant to stop new expenses.

In an interview on Thursday, McKenna said the board had already reviewed the $650,000 in unpaid bills but refused to approve them at two separate meetings. He described the freeze as a measure to avoid incurring debt.

“There’s no issue with having the funds,” McKenna said. “This is all within the budget.”

He acknowledged that while spending freezes are common later in the fiscal year, this one was “more draconian,” halting all new expenditures. He dismissed the board’s request for itemized breakdowns, saying they had already reviewed the bills.

“You Purposely Hurt the Public and Employees”

Tensions boiled over after Thursday’s meeting, when longtime Town Clerk Jackie Earley rebuked the board.

“I’ve worked for the town for 40 years,” she said. “This is one of the worst boards I’ve ever seen. You purposely hurt the public and employees.”

What Comes Next

The board majority is exploring legal remedies to compel McKenna to implement its resolutions and release public records. Members have also proposed policy changes to ensure future hires are made with full transparency.

The next public meeting is scheduled for Aug. 12. Whether Innello remains employed—and whether town government can restore public trust—remains uncertain.

“Everything’s a battle,” said Courtis. “Honestly.”

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article stated that Marino denied being in a relationship with Innello. Marino neither confirmed nor denied the existence of such a relationship, and declined to engage with The Overlook.

Noah Eckstein is the editor-in-chief of The Overlook. Send correspondence to noah@theoverlooknews.com.