The following was submitted by the Westford Town Manager’s Office. To submit your own content, e-mail asylvia@westfordcat.org
The Board of Selectmen is seeking candidates to serve on the Board of Assessors and the newly formed Town Farm Property Task Force.
Interested residents are encouraged to complete a Citizen’s Activity application form, available online at: http://data.westfordma.gov/bc
If you have any questions please contact Matt Hanson in the Town Manager’s office at 978-692-5501 ext. 1.
Summary of Duties: The Office of the Board of Assessors is a value-based board/department. The Assessors are primarily responsible for determining the full and fair cash value of all real and personal property within the municipality. Directs and oversees the duties of the Principal Assessor and set policy within the Assessors’ Office. The duties of the Assessors, with the assistance of the Principal Assessor, include: administer motor vehicle excise tax, compile and submit the annual Tax Rate Recapitulation to the Department of Revenue, abate/exempt/ or defer taxes, defend established values on abatement applications and at Appellate Tax Board hearings, maintain tax assessment maps, and oversee the town’s overlay reserve account (an account established to fund abatements, exemptions, and unpaid taxes for the respective fiscal year).Tax law intends for each taxpayer to pay an equitable share of the tax burden in proportion to the value of the property or asset. This is known as ad valorem tax, or according to value tax. It is important to note that Assessors do not raise or lower taxes, nor do the Assessors set rate of taxation (tax rate). These determinations are made with the assistance of assessment values, but are decisions made outside of the scope of the Assessing Department.
New Board members must take the Department of Revenue’s course 101 within 2 years of appointment.
Meetings are held periodically within the cyclical events and changing demands of the office.
The Town Farm Property Task Force is charged with studying potential uses and opportunities for the Town Farm property, including the Town Farm barn and storage building, located at 35 Town Farm Road. The main building is currently occupied by the Westford Recreation Department and the other buildings are being used for storage purposes.
The Task Force shall conduct site walks of the property and public hearings at which abutters, members of the general public, town staff and town board/committee members are invited.
The Task Force’s primary goal will be to evaluate the potential options for the site and to make recommendations to the Board of Selectmen including things such as renovation costs, lease potential, razing of structures or other options that would benefit our community.
