People Serving Overseas Could Get Tax Relief

Seekonk property owners serving on foreign soil in the National Guard or as military reservists could get exemptions from paying property taxes during their time overseas. The Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 on Wednesday to put the proposal before next month's town meeting.

A Massachusetts law allows municipalities to grant property tax relief of up to 100 percent during a national guardsman or reservist's time on duty in a foreign land. The selectmen determined they wanted town meeting voters to consider full exemptions.

This proposal was one of two items added to the warrant for the town meeting, which will take place at 7 p.m. on June 11 at . The other item would allow the town to dispose the former school administration building on 69 School Street by "resale or exchange, whatever is in the best interest of the town of Seekonk."

The School Street property is  for which town officials have been trying to determine uses, including as possible items for sale.

Following the addition of these two items, the selectmen formally adopted the town meeting warrant, which will feature 27 items, including the 2012-13 fiscal year budget.

In addition to the annual town meeting, there will be a special town meeting that night featuring two items— and a proposal to prohibit selectmen from serving on other town boards.

The prohibition measure comes from a petition started by Selectman Bill Rice. The validity of the petition was scrutinized by some of Rice's colleagues on the dais at the previous week's meeting. Town Administrator Pam Nolan said this week that a town attorney had determined the petition was valid and the item needed to go on the warrant. However, the attorney said she needed more time to determine if the proposal conflicted with the town charter, which would mean it could not become a bylaw regardless of the town meeting decision.

An angered Rice asked what the conflict would be.

"I'm sorry, I am not town counsel," Nolan replied. "I am not going to answer that."

Meanwhile, the board voted 3-2 on Wednesday to approve an "administrative policy" similar to Rice's measure that was proposed by Selectman Gary Sagar, who also sits on the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Sagar's measure does not affect selectmen currently serving on other boards. Also, it allows a selectman to sit on a board temporarily if the panel would not otherwise be able to have a quorum or, in the case of the ZBA, be able to reach super-majority decisions required of the board to approve items.

"I think that an administrative policy is all we need," said Sagar, who opposes Rice's measure. "It is basically a gentlemen's agreement between the five of us [on the BOS], and we're here together for the next 11 months. It can only be changed by the majority of this board. I think to have any hard policy going forward that would restrict the ability of this board to function would be a mistake, long term."

Sagar's measure was approved with the support of Bob McLintock and Francis Cavaco. Parker opposed it because, he said, there was no need to "squeeze something through before town meeting gets to vote on it." Rice called the measure an attempt by Sagar to keep his ZBA seat (which expires at the end of the month, although he has been appointed to continue serving as an alternate) and for McLintock to keep his seat on the Board of Health.

This led to a heated exchange between McLintock and Rice (see the attached video).