Whately Assessors Table Farm Machinery Excise Billing, Tackle Records Backlog

WHATELY — March 26, 2026 — Whately Board of Assessors tables farm machinery excise billing and clears motor vehicle abatement backlog. The board voted unanimously at its March 26 meeting to approve two batches of motor vehicle excise abatements and a new commitment authorizing Treasurer-Collector Jennifer to issue bills, while tabling a question over how to value and bill farm machinery excise taxes under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 60A, Section 126A — with roughly $1,500 in annual tax on an assessed machinery value of approximately $300,000 at stake. Assistant assessor Derek, who said March 26 was his last meeting before handing off to Abby, reported that a stack of recommitments involving residents incorrectly billed by Whately had gone unprocessed for at least three years, a gap he said he identified in coordination with South Deerfield Assessor Karen Menard. The board also adopted a revised fiscal year 2025 annual report and agreed to switch to electronic scanning of all signed minutes after two or three months of records were lost in transit to the town clerk's office.