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Residents press board over perceived conflict of interest; board votes to 'look into' ordinance legality
Summary
A resident accused a town official of influencing assessments and benefiting financially; the board discussed whether it can require elected officials to resign and voted to investigate drafting an ordinance to prevent the simultaneous holding of the tax collector and justice of the peace roles.
A lengthy and at times contentious discussion centered on allegations that the delinquent tax collector provided input on an assessor’s site visit and gained financially from subsequent decisions. A resident said the matter was "on film" and threatened legal action if the board did not act.
The board acknowledged the concern and supported moving forward carefully: a member moved to research and draft an ordinance preventing the delinquent tax collector and justice-of-the-peace roles from coexisting in the future, and members amended the motion to "look into" the legality of such an ordinance. The Chair noted the town will follow newly issued codes of ethics and, if necessary, refer unresolved matters to the state ethics commission.
