After the Board of Assessors received 334 abatement applications earlier this year, which resulted in $541,000 in abatements being given out, the Select Board approved for it to appear before the Finance Committee to request a total of $20,000 in order to pay firms that assisted in the process.
Board of Assessors Chair John Kelley said that it was impossible for the board to conduct reviews with so many applications, given the board’s time constraints. Patriot Properties was then brought in to conduct those reviews in March, and answers on abatement applications were mailed out to residents on April 18 for a total bill of $15,000.
The large number of abatements came after some residents in town saw significant increases to their property values without explanation. After some expressed frustration at the State of the Town address in January, Kelley said the assessment process needed to be examined.
“We got to the point where we really thought we should have an outside consultant look at the assessment job that was done for evaluations,” Kelley said.
While that audit was conducted, Chief Assessor Karen Bertolino was placed on paid administrative leave. According to Kelley, the board was scheduled to meet with the consultant on April 25, with final results of the audit to be presented by April 29.
The bill for the consultant totaled $5,000. Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer said that the $20,000 will come from the town’s revolving fund to cover the costs.
Kelley said that this was the largest number of abatements he had seen filed since the 2007-08 recession. When asked by Select Board Chair Erin Noonan how the board would balance the $540,000, Kelley said that it will come out of a surplus from the last two fiscal years.
“It could have gone to much better things,” Kelley said.
Kelley also took a moment to apologize to Select Board members, as well as Kezer, who were grilled by residents on the assessment process at the State of the Town.
“Our professional assessor was there, and for some reason, she decided not to speak,” Kelley said. “I don’t know why. I know you folks got a lot of heat that night.”
Noonan said that she took the moment as a learning experience.
“I think it was an education for a lot of folks, myself included really, when it bubbled up,” Noonan said.
Select Board member Bret Murray commended Kelley for taking a legitimate look into the matter.
“The steps you’re taking here show that you’re not taking this lying down and that you want to get to the bottom of it and make it right,” Murray said.