Selectmen notify delinquent taxpayers
Woolwich selectmen are putting the town’s delinquent taxpayers on notice to pay up or risk losing their properties to foreclosure.
Tax Collector Jean Mank provided selectmen with a list of property owners in arrears at Monday night’s meeting. The town has $101,000 in unpaid taxes on the books. The list revealed one landowner had been facing foreclosure for 13 consecutive years having never fully paid their taxes.
After reviewing the list, selectmen agreed to send out registered letters notifying property owners owing back taxes from 2013 and further back, that they’ll need to make arrangements to meet with the board or risk losing their properties. The board noted the only way for people to resolve this would be to pay their property taxes in full by June 1, or meet with town officials and agree to a payment plan.
Acting Fire Chief Geoff McCarren will look into a grant to obtain smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to give to residents. If the fire department receives funding, McCarren hopes firefighters will be able to install these as well. The units are battery-activated. McCarren said the fire department has made 13 calls since the start of the new year; five were motor-vehicle related.
Julia Gillespie, acting EMS director, said the ambulance department had seven calls in the last two weeks. Woolwich’s ambulance responded to all but one.
Code Enforcement Officer Bruce Engert said he’s issued three permits in the last year for new home construction.
Selectmen will look into making repairs to the town vault in addition to digitizing some of the town’s records.
Residents are reminded they have until Feb. 12 to return unused orange PAYT bags for a refund. The bags may be returned at the town office during regular business hours.
The next meeting of the board will be Tuesday, Feb. 16, due to the Presidents’ Day holiday.
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