Blandford town officials work on a restructuring plan at the Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
BLANDFORD – A financial operations update took up the majority of the Board of Selectmen meeting in Blandford Town Hall on Monday. Joining selectmen Cara Letendre and William Levakis for the discussion were Interim Town Administrator Joshua Garcia, Treasurer/Collector Sara Hunter, Stephen Jemiolo of the Board of Assessors, Finance Committee chair Paul Martin and member Martin Lynch, and selectmen secretary Karen Shaw. Newly elected selectman Eric McVey, former chair of the Finance Committee was out of town for the meeting.
Among the issues facing the town are unfilled positions, outstanding real estate taxes, and reimbursements owed residents from uncredited payments made during the tenure of former Tax Collector LeeAnn Thompson from 2002 to 2011, who was convicted of embezzlement of more than $150,000.
Thompson, who now lives in North Chelmsford, was given a two-year suspended sentence in March in Hampden Superior Court, and ordered to repay $13,093 to the town as one of the conditions of her probation.
“Blandford is in the midst of a restructuring plan to operate much more efficiently and effectively within the limitations of the budget,” Garcia said.
On Monday, the group reported on a meeting held last week with Marcia Bohinc, Bureau of Accounts Project Manager with the Department of Revenue’s Division of Local Services (DLS). Garcia said the DLS came to get an understanding of concerns around finances in the town.
“When they come in and tell you all the things that aren’t being done properly, things have to be done,” said Martin about the meeting. He said there is currently $700,000 in outstanding real estate taxes.
Jemiolo said the assessor’s clerk the town had hired is “no longer with us,” leaving the Board of Assessors with no staff. He said he recently hired a part-time person who has previously served as assessor and assessor’s clerk in aother town to help catch up. He said he planned to send a job listing to the Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers (MAAO) after the DOR suggested putting the ad in a publication only read by assessors/assessors clerks, adding that the going pay rate is $24 an hour.
Hunter said that the DOR spoke about the need to professionalize positions. She said there are abatements that have been approved, but not issued, and addresses that need to be corrected, all of which trickles down to the work in other offices.
“From seeing past work that was done, and people coming in not qualified; we need professionals now. In the long run it costs less,” said Levakis.
“It’s not fair to assume the Board of Assessors can do all the job,” Martin added.
Selectman chair Cara Letendre said assessors had been elected for years from a very small pool. “When you’re looking at $700,000 in tax titles that haven’t been collected, this becomes a priority,” she said, adding that the town of Chester is also looking to change to appointed positions. The selectmen are planning to meet with Chester town officials on Monday to discuss sharing services.
“As the DOR said, this did not happen this year; it’s been happening for years,” Hunter said, referring to outstanding receivables. “It costs to professionalize these services. You’re going to have to spend the money, but if you let people know that you are serious, people will come up with the money,” she added.
They also discussed hiring a company that provides the services of an assessor’s clerk in addition to doing assessments. Their current contract with a company that does assessments has one more year. Jemiolo said letters were sent out this week to the 10% of homes to be reassessed this year.
Martin said there is also a need for an assistant in the collector’s office. Currently, Hunter has been hired through September to serve as treasurer/tax collector, for $17,500. The cost to hire her for the year is $62,500, and the town has budgeted for $30,000 for treasurer and $30,000 for collector; with no funding for an assistant collector/treasurer.
Hunter said after the meeting with the DOR, she believes the assistant collector position needs to be bumped up to 30 hours. She said the DOR spoke about the magnitude of what has to be done, including sending out “gentle” demand letters. “Marcia said you need to build the credibility,” Hunter said, stressing the importance of spending money on an assistant who will be in house.
Hunter said another meeting is planned with the DOR, forensic accountant Josephine Sarnelli, who did much on the work uncovering Thompson’s fraud, former finance committee member Tony vanWerkhooven, Garcia, and current town accountant and CPA Eric Kinsherf, who is also being contracted for his services to the town.
Jemiolo said the town will have to schedule a Special Town Meeting once all of the needs are determined. Garcia asked the financial team to come up with a one page plan on the jobs that need to be filled, along with hours and costs, to get ready for the STM.
Joshua A. Garcia, municipal services manager for PVPC, is serving as interim town administrator in Blandford through August.
Also in the works is the hiring of a permanent town administrator. The job was posted in June, and ten candidates applied. Interviews with five candidates are being held Wednesday and Thursday this week by the hiring committee put together by interim TA Garcia, who is a municipal services manager with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. He said the three top candidates will then be interviewed by the Board of Selectmen.
“I think this is great news; the fact that we now know what’s going on, and what needs to be done. On top of that, you have cooperation,” said Garcia following the meeting. He added that town government is set up so no one person or department is totally in control, so working together is essential. “That’s the starting point,” Garcia said.
