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Berkley assessors require financial disclosures for exemption applicants, schedule DOR hearing on residential factor
Summary
The Berkley Board of Assessors voted Nov. 6 to require financial disclosures for certain tax-exemption applicants and announced a public hearing Nov. 20 after the town received FY2025 certification from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
The Town of Berkley Board of Assessors voted on Nov. 6, 2024, to require financial-disclosure documentation from applicants for certain tax exemptions and set a public hearing to select the FY2025 residential factor after the town received certification from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
Member Lisa Tetreault moved that exemption applications will require financial disclosures — including tax returns and all bank account information as of Dec. 31, 2023 — a motion seconded by Clerk Jeanne Russo and adopted unanimously. The requirement applies to the exemption applications that the board noted had been mailed to residents.
The action follows notice that Berkley was granted certification approval by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue for FY2025. The board scheduled a public hearing for 6 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2024, in the Hearing Room to select the residential factor for FY2025; the town also indicated that data collection for that process is ongoing.
Board members discussed related administrative items at the meeting. Jeanne Russo said she has completed an initial draft of an information pamphlet for Berkley residents that will be circulated to board members for comment. The board was reminded of Town Meeting on Nov. 14, 2024, and a Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers webinar on Nov. 20 about personal exemptions; Department head and staff logistics were noted for upcoming meetings.
The town plans a Financial Management Review beginning Dec. 3, 2024; the board was informed this will be a more detailed review than the last one performed in 2005. Officials also noted recent IT survey results and town purchasing licenses for commonly used software (listed examples included Adobe Acrobat Standard and Microsoft Teams), and a rollout of security tokens to town hall employees scheduled for Nov. 8 and Nov. 15, 2024.
The board’s next formal step on the residential factor is the public hearing on Nov. 20; the financial-disclosure requirement for exemption applications takes effect as described in the motion adopted Nov. 6.
