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Fall River City Board of Assessors approves minutes, warrants, exemptions and abatements; recommends exemption increases to mayor
Summary
At an open meeting, the Fall River City Board of Assessors approved minutes, invoice and excise warrants, several statutory and CPA exemptions and abatements, authorized assessments to "owners unknown" and voted to recommend proposed exemption increases to the mayor. All recorded votes were unanimous.
The Fall River City Board of Assessors met in open session and unanimously approved routine administrative items, several tax exemptions and abatements, and a recommendation to the mayor to submit proposed exemption increases.
The board voted 3-0 to approve the minutes for the Feb. 19, 2025 open and executive sessions, to accept the monthly report, and to approve the invoice warrant listed on the meeting agenda. The board also approved two motor vehicle excise warrants — "2025 commitment number 2" and "2024 commitment number 8" — after a brief staff note that the 2025 warrant contained roughly several hundred more bills than the prior year and represented an increase of about $400,000–$500,000 compared with last year.
In an executive-session matter made public on reconvening, the board authorized the assessor's office to assess a list of parcels to "owners unknown" for fiscal 2026 pursuant to the general laws cited on the agenda. The motion to authorize those assessments passed 3-0.
The board then handled a slate of statutory exemptions and abatements for fiscal 2025. The board approved the statutory exemptions read into the record (listed on the meeting transcript as numbers 83, 804, 805, 806, 807, 808, 809, 90, 901 and 93), and denied statutory exemption number 92. The board approved two Community Preservation Act (CPA) exemptions (CPA number 1 and CPA number 2).
On abatements, the board approved the listed fiscal 2025 abatements (transcript-listed numbers: 4, 31, 302, 303, 402, 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 507, and 58) and denied the listed abatements (numbers 21, 506, 605, 606, 607, 608, 609, 70, and 701). Each of those motions passed on recorded roll calls with all three members voting yes.
The board also voted to recommend to the mayor that the proposed increases in exemptions, as prepared by the assistant to the Board of Assessors, be submitted to the city council. That motion passed 3-0.
The board scheduled its next meeting for April 16, 2025, at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 10:48 a.m.
Votes at a glance
- Approve minutes (open & executive session, 02/19/2025): Passed, 3-0 (Nancy Heino — yes; Rich Wilson — yes; Rich Gonzales — yes). - Approve invoice warrant: Passed, 3-0 (Nancy Heino — yes; Rich Wilson — yes; Rich Gonzales — yes). - Approve monthly report: Passed, 3-0 (Nancy Heino — yes; Rich Wilson — yes; Rich Gonzales — yes). - Approve motor vehicle excise warrant 2025, commitment #2: Passed, 3-0 (Nancy Heino — yes; Rich Wilson — yes; Rich Gonzales — yes). - Approve motor vehicle excise warrant 2024, commitment #8: Passed, 3-0 (Nancy Heino — yes; Rich Wilson — yes; Rich Gonzales — yes). - Entered and reconvened from executive session to discuss abatements/exemptions per agenda citations: Motion to enter executive session passed, 3-0; reconvened to open session later the same meeting. - Authorize assessment of attached parcels to owners unknown (fiscal 2026, per agenda citation): Passed, 3-0 (Nancy Heino — yes; Rich Wilson — yes; Rich Gonzales — yes). - Approve listed fiscal 2025 statutory exemptions (transcript-listed numbers): Passed, 3-0. - Deny fiscal 2025 statutory exemption number 92: Passed, 3-0. - Approve CPA exemptions (CPA #1 and #2): Passed, 3-0. - Recommend proposed exemption increases to the mayor (as proposed by assistant to board): Passed, 3-0. - Approve listed fiscal 2025 abatements (transcript-listed numbers): Passed, 3-0. - Deny listed fiscal 2025 abatements (transcript-listed numbers): Passed, 3-0. - Schedule next meeting: April 16, 2025 at 10 a.m.; Adjourn: Passed, 3-0.
The board's actions were procedural and administrative; the only substantive discussion noted on the record was a staff clarification that the 2025 motor vehicle excise warrant included several hundred more bills than the prior year, increasing the warrant total by roughly $400,000–$500,000 compared with the previous year. The meeting included an executive-session discussion of abatements and exemptions that the board said could be detrimental to the city's legal position if discussed in public; the board reconvened and made public motions and votes consistent with that executive-session business.
All recorded roll calls in the transcript show unanimous 3-0 votes in favor of the motions as recorded.
