Town Council Majority Office
Tax Policy Committee
April 15, 2014
PRESENT William P. Horan, Jr., Temporary Chair; Councilors Marc Weinberg and Pat
Harmon
ALSO Mike Walsh, Finance Director
PRESENT
CALL TO ORDER
Temporary Chair Horan called the meeting to order at 12:03 p.m.
NOMINATION OF OFFICERS
Chair
MOTION By Marc Weinberg
seconded by Pat Harmon
to nominate Bill Horan as Chair of the Tax Policy Committee.
Motion carried 3/0.
Secretary
MOTION By Pat Harmon
seconded by Bill Horan
to nominate Marc Weinberg as Secretary of the Tax Policy Committee.
Motion carried 3/0.
ADOPTION OF RULES GOVERNING MEETINGS
MOTION By Marc Weinberg
seconded by Pat Harmon
to adopt Robert’s Rules of Order as the rules that shall govern
parliamentary procedure at all subcommittee meetings, with the exception
that (1) the Chair shall not be required to restate the motion of any
Council member unless requested by another Councillor, or when in the
discretion of the Chair, such restatement is necessary to avoid any
confusion as to the motion; and (2) where such rules are in conflict with
the provisions of the State Statutes, the Town Charter, or Town
Ordinances.
Motion carried 3/0.
ESTABLISHMENT OF MEETING DATES
MOTION By Marc Weinberg
seconded by Pat Harmon
to hold meetings at the call of the Chair.
Motion carried 3/0.
STORAGE OF RECORDS
MOTION By Marc Weinberg
seconded by Pat Harmon
to store records in the Town Council office.
Motion carried 3/0.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
April 2, 2013
MOTION By Marc Weinberg
seconded by Pat Harmon
to approve the minutes of the April 2, 2013.
Motion carried 3/0.
OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS TO SPEAK
None
NEW BUSINESS
Tax Lien Sales
Finance Director Mike Walsh initiated a general discussion regarding the Town’s procedure leading up to the town placing a tax lien on property and selling said lien in a tax lien sale. The taxpayer has no less than twelve (12) separate and distinct notifications of the proposed tax lien sale. This is the Town’s 12th or 13th tax lien sale. Mr. Walsh detailed the procedure for the Committee and discussed the three tax lien lists that are proposed for this tax lien sale. Councillor Weinberg inquired as to the use of payment plans for taxpayers and Director Walsh further explained the process. An RFP is expected to be issued in the near future.
MOTION By Marc Weinberg
seconded by Pat Harmon
to authorize the administration to conduct a tax lien sale by way of a
request for proposal (RFP) and to seek and receive sealed bids pursuant
to an invitation to bid on a number of tax liens held by the town on specific
real property as listed on lists 1 and 2 as produced by Finance Director Mike Walsh and attached to a memorandum dated March 25, 2014 from Mayor Marcia Leclerc to Town Council Chair Richard Kehoe, subject to the following four conditions:
- The Collector of Revenue shall notify the~record owner of each property subject to a lien that is to be included in the tax lien sale, by certified mail, that the lien is being included in the request for proposal and invitation to bid, and that~the owner should contact the Town immediately to pay the taxes or seek a payment plan if they wish to keep the Town's tax liens on their property from being sold;
- In order to qualify for a payment plan, the property owner must meet the following three criteria:
- They must remit 25% of the outstanding amount due
- They cannot have defaulted on a prior payment arrangement
- Their property must not have active property code violations;
- The letters from the Collector of Revenue to each property owner shall notify the property owner that the purchaser of the tax lien on their property shall have the right to foreclose on that property; and
- The Administration shall return to the Town Council with the results of the request for proposal and that the proposal for each tax lien must be approved by the Town Council before it is sold.
And further to authorize the administration to assign the tax liens as listed
on list 3 to the vendors who currently hold the prior year tax liens on these
properties.
Motion carried 3/0.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION By Marc Weinberg
seconded by Pat Harmon
to adjourn (12:32 p.m.)
Motion carried 3/0.
cc: Town Council
Mayor Leclerc
Mike Walsh, Finance Director
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