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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TOWN CLERK/TREASURER/COLLECTOR
As of January 15, 2004, the total population was 6,846. There were 3,976 voters, of which 1,075 were Democrats, 554 were Republicans, 2,300 were Unenrolled (no party affiliation), 32 were Libertarians, and 15 were of other designations. There were no Fall state elections in 2003; the Presidential Primary will be held on Tuesday, March 2, 2004. Our Annual Town Election, by By-law, is normally held on the first Monday in March. The Board of Selectmen voted to change the date of the 2004 town election to Monday, April 5, 2004 to avoid any confusion with the Presidential Primary.
New for January 1, 2004, the Town has an official website! With a grant from the Dighton Power Charitable Fund, the Town was able to fund a website through services provided by VADAR Systems Inc. and Virtual Town Hall. The advantage for town departments is that departments can update their website information by themselves, thus eliminating the need for a webmaster to do it for them. The advantage for residents is that they can be better informed of what is happening in town government. I encourage residents to visit the website at: www.dighton-ma.gov.
The quarterly tax billing system is working well. Taxpayers are getting accustomed to the fact that they must remember to retain the second payment coupon, included on the tax bill, for payments due November 1 and May 1. New for Fiscal 2004, was a consolidation of district taxes and real estate taxes on one tax bill. This consolidation has saved taxpayers money in the cost of envelopes, bill forms, printer ink and postage. So far, it seems to be eliminating the confusion on the recurring problem of who was responsible for paying the district taxes, the taxpayer or the mortgage company, because the banks and mortgage companies have been paying the whole total due. In addition to paying tax bills in person and through the mail, taxpayers, through the website, can now register to
pay their tax bills online.
I am truly thankful for the dedication, cooperation and hard work of my staff. They are very supportive and help create a pleasant atmosphere in which to work, and are all great assets to this department. Pamela Waller, in her primary duty as Assistant Town Clerk, has become proficient in the VRIS (Voter Registration Information System) program, which connects all clerks’ offices around the state with the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and she continues to find ways to improve the operation of this department. Mary Hathaway, Senior Treasurer/Collector Clerk has become very skilled in the quarterly tax billing and collection software and continues to improve efficiency in other Collector/Treasurer functions. Helen Kadlec, who works
part-time in this office and part-time in the Assessors’ office, continues to handle any task with accuracy and efficiency.
This office is a very busy office and there is always a new challenge waiting around the corner. I would like to thank all Town offices, boards and committees for their help and cooperation throughout the year. Many times at meetings of Treasurer and Collectors or of Town Clerks, I hear some of my colleagues talking about the poor relationships they have with their Assessors or Town Accountants. Because we work very closely with the Assessors’ office and the Town Accountant’s office concerning the finances of the Town, I would especially like to thank them for their cooperation and assistance. I am grateful for the cooperation and enthusiasm of all the employees who helped make the website a reality. I would like to thank Paul DeMoura and the Highway Department for
their help setting up the election equipment for the town election this year. Also, I would like to thank the staff and students at the Dighton Elementary School for their patience and cooperation during elections.
Respectfully submitted,
Brenda A. Herbeck
Town Clerk/Treasurer/Collector
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