FARMINGTON — At their meeting on Tuesday evening, Sept. 24, selectmen were told the due date for taxes will be later than what voters approved at town meeting in March because the tax commitment hasn’t been determined.

“We don’t have the tax commitment today,” Town Manager Erica LaCroix said. “From the date of tax commitment we have to push the due date on taxes back 45 days, so we are not going to make the November date that was set during the town meeting.”

From the town report, voters on March 25 approved a taxes due date of Nov. 4 “or 45 days from the tax commitment, whichever is later.”

LaCroix said she has told assessor Frank Xu materials to make the tax commitment must be available for the Oct. 8 board meeting. He has been working really hard trying to get everything sorted out from when Farmington didn’t have an assessor, she noted. “We can’t wait any longer,” she stated.

The town’s checking account is being monitored daily, it is getting tighter but no money from the sewer account has been used to date, LaCroix noted. She expected money would need to be borrowed from the sewer account.

LaCroix said another option was to hold a special board meeting to set the tax commitment.

Selectman Dennis O’Neil asked if an appeal to the public could be made to make payments on their taxes.

LaCroix said that could be done, most people who do that have already started coming in with payments. There are people who always pay a little ahead or lose track, she stated.

Selectman Richard Morton asked what the issues were about holding a special meeting to determine the tax commitment.

The selectmen’s availability and time, LaCroix responded. There usually is only one agenda item, Mt. Blue Community Access TV might not be available to livestream the meeting, she noted.

Could a week be gained with another meeting, Morton asked.

LaCroix wasn’t sure, noted public notice must be given three business days prior to the meeting.

“We have an obligation to get the commitment out as soon as possible,” Morton stated.

The meeting could be held at noon, doesn’t need to be at night, O’Neil said. He supported holding a special meeting.

Chairman Joshua Bell asked why the commitment information wasn’t available.

LaCroix said assessor Frank Xu was trying to get corrected values for things that weren’t taken care of when the town was without an assessor. It’s better to have it accurate up front, she added.

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