Thursday, 4:30 PM
State inquires about lawn firm
By Jonathan Saltzman and Maria Cramer, GLOBE STAFF
The state Department of Revenue has contacted the city of Chelsea to inquire about a landscaping company following a Globe story reporting that the company used illegal immigrant workers.
City Manager Jay Ash said that an auditor from the Revenue Department called and asked about Community Lawn Service with a Heart, a tiny company that maintains the grounds of Governor Mitt Romney’s house in Belmont, as well as Chelsea parks.
On Friday, the Globe reported that illegal immigrants from Guatemala make up a significant number of employees at the company, which has tended Romney’s 2-acre property on Marsh Street for a decade. Reporters interviewed four current and former employees of the company, and all but one said they were in the United States illegally. The workers said they were paid in cash at $9 to $10 an hour.
Ricardo Saenz, owner of the lawn service, declined to comment. Tim Connolly, a spokesman for the department, said that the agency, which ensures compliance with state tax laws, would not comment on whether it is investigating the company.
