Board of Assessors, Jan. 6
The Board of Assessors convened on Jan. 6 to address several topics, including bylaw revisions, office updates, and archival preservation efforts.
Director of Assessing Robert Leroux introduced a proposed change to the town bylaws regarding the responsibilities of the Board of Assessors. The revision, originating with the Select Board and spearheaded by that’s board’s Vice Chair Carol Martin and former Select Board member Cherry Carlson, seeks to separate the assessors’ duties from Chapter 19, which outlines financial operations, and create a standalone Chapter 20.
The proposed change would streamline the assessors’ responsibilities into six concise points, eliminating more detailed reporting requirements.
Leroux explained that the detailed provisions in Chapter 19 were enacted about a decade ago in response to public dissatisfaction with the assessors’ office. He noted that this shift reflects improved public trust and operational performance.
“Kudos to this present board, the taxpayer in general, and the administration,” Leroux said. “They feel the Board of Assessors has done a great job as of late and would like to simplify the necessary information we need to provide.”
Chair Zachariah Ventress and member Phillip Parks supported the simplification for clarity and ease of understanding.
“It seems like a simplification,” Parks noted. “It’s just easier for somebody to read and understand those six points of responsibility.
The board endorsed the proposal and encouraged the Select Board to advance the measure to a town vote.
The meeting also addressed updates from the assessors’ office. Leroux announced that the office’s information for Fiscal Year 2025, including assessments and exemptions, is now updated on the office’s web pages for public access.
Leroux highlighted the office’s archival preservation efforts, noting that the Community Preservation Committee approved $75,000 in funding for the restoration of 1880s assessor ledgers and storage boxes. This initiative, which will be presented to voters at the annual Town Meeting in April, includes digitizing historical records for public accessibility. Senior tax work-off participant Kay Gardner Wescott was recognized for her instrumental role in advancing this project.
In further acknowledgments, Leroux congratulated Board of Assessors member Doug McNeilly for completing the Department of Revenue’s Course 101 and signing the tax recap report for the first time.
The next meeting of the board is set for Feb. 3, followed by an executive session to address abatements, reassessments, and legal matters and an Appellate Tax Board case concerning a Glen Oak Drive property.
