Brandon board waives late homestead penalty, approves committee reappointments

The Brandon Select Board voted to waive the late homestead filing penalty for the upcoming year after hearing from Town Clerk Susan Gage, who recommended against the penalty and said she has not observed fraud in 13 years of administering filings.

Gage explained the penalty would affect taxpayers who file after April 15 and argued the charge would "nickel and dime our taxpayers to death." Board members discussed whether to waive penalties for inadvertent late filers while retaining penalties for fraud, and Gage said statute and practice generally do not permit selective waivers; she also reiterated that she has rarely if ever seen fraud in her tenure.

The board then voted by voice to waive the penalty. The board also considered and approved a slate of reappointments to standing town committees, including members for the Development Review Board, the Historic Preservation Commission, the Planning Commission, the Revolving Loan Fund Committee, and the Bravo Restorative Justice Committee. Nominees had expressed willingness to continue in their roles and the board approved the reappointments by voice vote.

The motions were procedural and passed without substantive amendment.