By Kat Leslie
DECATUR, NY — A former town supervisor in upstate New York has been charged with stealing public funds after allegedly paying himself extra money from a municipal budget without approval — a case that underscores broader concerns about public trust in local government.
Johnathan D. Kersman, 37, of Worcester, New York, was arrested Feb. 26 following a joint investigation by the New York State Comptroller’s Office and the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office, authorities announced.
According to law enforcement officials, the investigation determined that Kersman paid himself more than $2,000 above his authorized salary while serving as supervisor of the Town of Decatur.
The investigation was conducted with assistance from the New York State Comptroller’s Division of Investigations, which routinely examines financial irregularities in local governments across the state.
Kersman has been charged with fourth-degree grand larceny and official misconduct, both criminal offenses tied to the alleged misuse of public funds.
Investigators say Kersman issued himself additional payments from the town’s budget without authorization from the Town Board.
While the amount involved in the Decatur case is relatively small, officials say the principle is significant.
“Public officials are entrusted with taxpayer dollars,” Comptroller investigators have repeatedly said in similar cases. “Any misuse of those funds undermines public confidence in government.”
As the Kersman case moves forward in court, it serves as another reminder that financial accountability in local government remains under close scrutiny across New York — including here in the Hudson Valley.
A Similar Oversight Locally
This case also echoes a similar issue closer to home, and a recent controversy surrounding the current Florida’s Mayor.
Village of Florida Mayor Daniel Harter became the subject of legal action in Orange County Supreme Court after similarly making certain decisions without approval from the Village Board.
The mayor’s actions resulted in a lawsuit and a subsequent judgment issued July 1, 2024, by Orange County Supreme Court Judge Robert McElduff, who ruled that Harter’s actions were “clearly arbitrary, capricious and without any basis in law.”
The case also raised questions about the costs associated with the mayor’s legal defense, as the Village Board voted to allow legal expenses tied to the case to be covered by village funds.
Even though, unlike the Kersman case, the Florida matter did not result in an arrest and criminal charges, or involve allegations of stolen funds, the financial impact on taxpayers was real.
Harter’s legal defense costs, approved by The Board, including the Mayor himself and cohabitating Trustee, meant that public money was used to fund the mayor’s legal representation, ultimately costing the Florida community tens of thousands of dollars. In that sense, while no money was alleged to have been taken directly from village accounts, taxpayer funds were still spent — and in amounts far exceeding the sums at issue in the Decatur case.
So, even disputes that involve no direct loss of public funds can carry far-reaching consequences and have a significant financial impact on municipal budgets — and on taxpayers’ wallets.
“Local government operates on a level of trust that is often closer to home than state or federal politics,” said one municipal governance expert familiar with public integrity investigations in New York. “When that trust is violated, the damage to public confidence can be significant.”
