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Charlemont assessors approve FY2026 budget, add penalty language to GRH 38D request and sign routine warrants
Summary
On Jan. 6 the Charlemont Board of Assessors voted unanimously to approve the FY2026 budget request, add penalty language to a Section 38D request to Great River Hydro, approve warrants and invoices, and approve meeting minutes; they adjourned to executive session under G.L. Chapter 59, Section 60.
The Charlemont Board of Assessors on Jan. 6 approved several routine administrative and fiscal items, voted to add penalty language to a Section 38D request to Great River Hydro and adjourned to executive session to deliberate on pending abatement and exemption applications.
On a motion by Chair Jacqueline Cashin and seconded by Karen Rau the board unanimously approved the minutes of Nov. 25, 2024. The Board also voted unanimously (motion by Cashin, seconded by Ostroski) to approve multiple finance items, including an invoice from the Franklin County Registry of Deeds for plan copies, CAI Technologies’ quarterly tax-map maintenance invoice, the warrant to the collector for FY2025 property tax commitments and sewer liens, the Notice of Commitment to the accounting officer for FY2025 commitments, the Assessor’s Statement of accurate assessment, an Assessor’s Notice regarding personal property forms of list, a warrant/Notice of Commitment for 2024 motor vehicle excise, and the monthly list of abatements/exemptions for November and December 2024.
Assessor’s Clerk Carlene Hayden presented the proposed FY2026 budget, saying postage and advertising need increases in the certification year and that CAI was increasing its map-maintenance fee; on a motion by Cashin and seconded by Ostroski the Board voted unanimously to approve the FY2026 budget request as proposed.
Hayden also presented a draft Section 38D request cover letter to Great River Hydro that added standard penalty language notifying an owner that failure to submit requested financial information may result in a penalty; the Board voted unanimously to add that penalty language. Hayden said Great River Hydro had previously provided financial documents only to the Assessor’s consultant because it would not sign the Board’s confidentiality agreement and that a GRH contact, Jocelyne Barrett, had been informed last year that a penalty might be levied.
At 8:09 p.m. the Board voted to adjourn and enter executive session under G.L. Chapter 59, Section 60 to deliberate on pending abatement and exemption applications and to sign executive-session minutes; roll-call votes were Cashin-Yes, Ostroski-Yes, Rau-Yes. The Board scheduled its next meetings for Feb. 10, March 10 and April 14, 2025.
