HomeMy Public PortalAbout2017-10-24 Board of Assessors Appts corrected_201710160933435546Town of Watertown
Town Council Committee on Personnel and Town Organization
Report of the Meeting of September 6, 2017
Read: October 24, 2017
The Personnel and Town Organization committee met in the Louis P. Andrews Upper
Conference Room on Wednesday, September 6, 2017 at 7:15pm. The purpose of the meeting
was to interview three members to the Board of Assessors for reappointment. Members in
Attendance: Councilor Susan Falkoff, Chair; Councilor Michael Dattoli, Vice -Chair, and Councilor
Angie Kounelis, Secretary. Also in attendance was Town Auditor / Assistant Town Manager
Tom Tracy.
Mr. Frank Golden, Town Assessor
Councilor Falkoff asked Mr. Golden about the status of the Payments in Lieu of Tax (PILOT)
program. Mr. Golden stated it has been a difficult conversation with some organizations. The
City of Boston asks many tax-exempt organizations to contribute to town services based on a
percentage of their property value. Mr. Golden mentioned a bill at the State House that would
require certain non-profit organizations to pay a portion of the exempt property taxes.
ACTION: Councilor Falkoff made a motion to request that the Town Council ask Mr. Golden to
follow-up on the status of any bills relevant to Payment In Lieu of Taxes in the Massachusetts
state house and report back to the Council. The motion was seconded by Councilor Kounelis
and the motion carried unanimously, 3-0.
ACTION: Councilor Falkoff made a motion to request that the Town Council ask Mr. Tracy to
research legal options for mandating PILOT agreements with certain tax-exempt institutions
and report his findings to the Town Council. Councilor Kounelis seconded and the motion
carried unanimously, 3-0.
Councilor Kounelis mentioned that the debt service on the school debt exclusion override will
expire in FY18 and asked Mr. Golden about the impact of this on individual taxpayers. Mr.
Tracy stated that the dollar amount is only $78,000 for FY18 and so retiring this debt will not
yield a windfall.
ACTION: Councilor Kounelis made a motion to ask the Council to request information from the
administration on the average amount on residential tax bills each year of the bond for the
school debt exclusion. Councilor Dattoli Seconded and the motion passed unanimously, 3-0.
Councilor Kounelis asked about the frequency of Board of Assessor meetings and whether they
are posted and open to the public. Some meetings are open but discussions of abatements
involve personal finances and are not public. All meetings should be posted on the town's
website and the public can be updated via Notify Me. Mr. Golden said he would confirm that
the website is being updated regularly.
Councilor Kounelis stated that the CPA tax will be applied to third quarter bills in February and
asked if there will be outreach to raise awareness about exemption criteria. She noted that the
CPA tax will be spread across only two quarters for this fiscal year but will be billed in all four
quarters thereafter. Mr. Golden said he intends to spread the word in many ways, including
giving informational forums at the Senior Center.
ACTION: Councilor Dattoli made a motion to recommend that the Council reappoint Mr. Francis
J. Golden to the Board of Assessors for a term that expires May 15, 2020. Councilor Kounelis
seconded and the motion carried 3-0.
Mr. Richard V. Moynihan
Mr. Moynihan spoke about enjoying his service on the Board. He recently updated his
certification and designation as a Massachusetts Accredited Assessor (MAA).
ACTION: Councilor Dattoli made a motion to recommend that the Council reappoint Mr.
Richard V. Moynihan to the Board of Assessors for a term that Expires on May 15, 2019.
Councilor Kounelis seconded and the motion carried 3-0.
Mr. Anthony Paolillo
Mr. Paolillo said he is excited to continue serving as a member of the board with the many
positive things happening in Watertown. He emphasized the importance of educating residents
about the tax assessment process.
ACTION: Councilor Dattoli made a motion to recommend that the Council reappoint Anthony P.
Paolillo to the Board of Assessors for a term that expires on May 15, 2018. The motion was
seconded by Councilor Kounelis and passed 3-0.
Councilor Kounelis made a motion to adjourn by at 8:15pm, seconded by Councilor Dattoli. The
motion carried 3-0.
Minutes prepared by Councilor Dattoli, Vice -Chair and Susan Falkoff, Chair