Anonymous said...
Publius please accept this as an article submission
WHO OVERSEES THE ASSESSOR
Not the DRA! Not the ASB! It You! (and me and other taxpayers)
This should be viewed as a reason to file for abatements and appeals as the BTLA recognizes that there are "problems"
BTLA DETERMINES THAT THERE IS NO EFFECTIVE AUDITING OF ASSESSING PRACTICES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE !
The following is a statement from (two separate) decisions from the NH Board of Tax and Land Appeals (BTLA) in regard to Avitar (contract assessor) asking to be compensated by the taxpayers (retribution) for their bringing a reassessment petition action before the BTLA.
Please read carefully for the nuances and acknowledgement by the BTLA that the “State” has “no comprehensive auditing procedures in place to verify that assessments are being performed correctly and accurately at the local level. “ Additionally, the BTLA presented to the Assessing Standards Board (ASB), in 2007, several cases of poor municipal assessing in which they took action. The BTLA presented no encouraging news to the ASB as to the state of assessing in New Hampshire. The ASB response has been silence and inaction.
According to the statement that follows, the burden of auditing and providing “checks and balances” falls to the taxpayers!
Beginning BTLA quote:
“The legislature has provided this process for New Hampshire taxpayers to challenge, on a systemic basis, the need for improved assessment equity throughout a municipality in addition to appealing their individual assessments through RSA 76:16-a or 17. While certainly petitions and appeals require municipal officials and their contractors to invest significant time, they are important processes for taxpayers to audit the assessing function entrusted to municipalities in the first instance. These RSA 71-B:16, IV petitions are part of the "auditing procedures" and "enforcement measures" to ensure equitable market related assessments as discussed, in Sirrell v. State, 146 N.H. 364, 374 and 384 (2001). ("[I]n 1999, no comprehensive auditing procedures are yet in place to verify that assessments are being performed correctly and accurately at the local level." The State must implement effective enforcement measures to ensure assessments are proportional.)
Avitar may believe it to be inefficient and troublesome to have to explain and defend how assessments were derived and calculated; however, our representative form of government requires that those entrusted (either directly by statute or indirectly by contract) with the important responsibility of assessing and equitably dividing the tax burden be responsive and accountable to those who are directly and immediately impacted: the taxpayers. By its very nature, a government with built-in checks and balances may result in some inefficiency; however, that is one of the necessary costs so that no one branch of government dominates and so that its citizens have recourse. See Opinion of the Justices, 141 N.H. 562, 569 (1997); Town of Littleton v. Tavlor. 138 N.H. 4.19, 423 (1994); and Foote v. State Personnel Commission. 116 N.H, 145, 148 (1976).”
Mr. Leon Artus
Thursday, February 14
Assessing and Abatements, the Facts
Anonymous said...
Please submit as an article
ASSESSING and/or ABATEMENTS
I have been a resident of Atkinson for 23 years. Currently I am the Assessing Clerk in Danville and also held this same position in Atkinson for some years. Having some small knowledge of the process I submit this article to outline the process.
Property assessments are across the board utilizing the same information and formulas for everyone.
Each and every resident has the responsibility of keeping informed on their own property value. This is available at the Town Hall. If obtaining a copy of your personal property card is not free (as it should be in my opinion) it is at a minimal cost.
If details are incorrect (such as the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, measurements or other details) an abatement can be filed, which by the way the town offices should help you to process at NO COST. I personally process with the resident each and every abatement before it goes to the Assessor and then the Board of Selectmen.
Filing an abatement is done after the second tax bill has been generated and before March 1st of the following year. The Assessor then has until July of the following year to process.
The Assessor will visit the property, adjustments will be made, and if you have been overtaxed a refund will be generated to inlcude interest from the day you paid your taxes until the day the town reimburses you the difference.
If you feel that you are improperly assessed because of like properties that are assessed for less then a resident can also file an abatement, which by the way the town offices should help you to process at NO COST.
An abatement is filed by submitting a form found at the Town Hall and attaching a bank appraisal along with comparatives of like properties. Again the Assessor will visit the property and make adjustments.
Further, if the resident disagrees with the Assessors findings, they have the option to take the entire abatement to the Board of Tax and Land Appeals for a second decision.
There is no doubt that property values are down.......the stock market is down.......available jobs are down.......times are tough.
When total revals are done it is unrealistic and impossible for the Assessor to enter each and every residence in town. There are times when no one is at home or the Assessor is not allowed entry that a best guesstimate must be used. Like properties will have assumptions made that interiors are the same.
A total reval is VERY expensive. Mailing each and every resident a property card every time there is a change major or minor is expensive and we, the taxpayers, pay for this.
You never hear of a resident complaining because they are under assessed until they are ready to sell and then they want their property truly reflected so they can sell at the highest price.
Likewise if a resident's property is sold for more than the assessed value they are not beating down the door of town hall to pay their extra share of tax.
If the current assessing practices can be improved I am all for it. If there is a better and fairer way to raise taxes it should be investigated and implemented.
How Atkinson can better manage this process is unclear. The method in which taxes are raised has little effect on the outcome. We still haved to pay a certain amount in taxes.
Jill Fleming
Please submit as an article
ASSESSING and/or ABATEMENTS
I have been a resident of Atkinson for 23 years. Currently I am the Assessing Clerk in Danville and also held this same position in Atkinson for some years. Having some small knowledge of the process I submit this article to outline the process.
Property assessments are across the board utilizing the same information and formulas for everyone.
Each and every resident has the responsibility of keeping informed on their own property value. This is available at the Town Hall. If obtaining a copy of your personal property card is not free (as it should be in my opinion) it is at a minimal cost.
If details are incorrect (such as the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, measurements or other details) an abatement can be filed, which by the way the town offices should help you to process at NO COST. I personally process with the resident each and every abatement before it goes to the Assessor and then the Board of Selectmen.
Filing an abatement is done after the second tax bill has been generated and before March 1st of the following year. The Assessor then has until July of the following year to process.
The Assessor will visit the property, adjustments will be made, and if you have been overtaxed a refund will be generated to inlcude interest from the day you paid your taxes until the day the town reimburses you the difference.
If you feel that you are improperly assessed because of like properties that are assessed for less then a resident can also file an abatement, which by the way the town offices should help you to process at NO COST.
An abatement is filed by submitting a form found at the Town Hall and attaching a bank appraisal along with comparatives of like properties. Again the Assessor will visit the property and make adjustments.
Further, if the resident disagrees with the Assessors findings, they have the option to take the entire abatement to the Board of Tax and Land Appeals for a second decision.
There is no doubt that property values are down.......the stock market is down.......available jobs are down.......times are tough.
When total revals are done it is unrealistic and impossible for the Assessor to enter each and every residence in town. There are times when no one is at home or the Assessor is not allowed entry that a best guesstimate must be used. Like properties will have assumptions made that interiors are the same.
A total reval is VERY expensive. Mailing each and every resident a property card every time there is a change major or minor is expensive and we, the taxpayers, pay for this.
You never hear of a resident complaining because they are under assessed until they are ready to sell and then they want their property truly reflected so they can sell at the highest price.
Likewise if a resident's property is sold for more than the assessed value they are not beating down the door of town hall to pay their extra share of tax.
If the current assessing practices can be improved I am all for it. If there is a better and fairer way to raise taxes it should be investigated and implemented.
How Atkinson can better manage this process is unclear. The method in which taxes are raised has little effect on the outcome. We still haved to pay a certain amount in taxes.
Jill Fleming
Monday, February 11
What qualities do you want in your elected officials?
It is election season, and the Atkinson Reporter would like to invite the candidates to post their positions, ideas, philosophy, and whatever else they deem appropriate here on this blog.
In light of this goal, we thought that we should solicit, first, from you the voters, what it is you want to see in a town official.
So please respond to this article with your comments, and suggestions for the candidates, and hopefully they will respond with their answers to your requests.
In light of this goal, we thought that we should solicit, first, from you the voters, what it is you want to see in a town official.
So please respond to this article with your comments, and suggestions for the candidates, and hopefully they will respond with their answers to your requests.
Marines kicked out of Toledo, Oh. by the Democrat Mayor!
MAcciard said...
Publius, please accept this as an article submission.
Marines kicked out of Toledo, Oh. by the Democrat Mayor!
I heard this story reported to day, and it sums up so much that is wrong with my Country.
When I served and traveled in uniform noone noticed. Today there are many people like myself, who will take the time to go over and introduce ourselves to a uniformed soldier, sailor, marine, airman that we see in public. I usually will go over and greet them by name and rank, introduce myself, and say, simply thank you, no matter what you may read in the papers, you and your service are appreciated.
But I read today, that the mayor of Toledo, Oh. managed to accomplish, in AMERICA, what Al Queda has not been able to accomplish in Iraq, that is to run the U.S. Marines out of town!
OK, so 200 Marines stationed in Grand Rapids, Michigan, piled on to five buses and came to Toledo, Ohio, yesterday to practice some urban patrol exercises. The Toledo police knew about the request for the three-day exercise well in advance, but somehow Mayor Carty Finkbeiner didn’t see the memo requesting permission for the event. So when when the first bus arrives at 3:20 p.m. and Staff Sergeant Andre Davis steps off, he is greeted by a city employee and told that the mayor wanted him and his soldiers out of town by 6 p.m. “I wish,” Sgt Davis drily remarked, “they would have told us this four hours ago.” [Update: a reader points out that it is incorrect to refer to Marines as “soldiers”: soldiers serve in the army, not the Marines. I regret the mistake. I further regret referring to SSgt Davis incorrectly as “Sergeant”!]
Indeed.
I gather that Mayor Finkbeiner (a Democrat, readers will be surprised to learn), like the folks in Berkeley, California, can’t think of the United States Marines without having the first lines of “The Destruction of Sennacherib” float through his head (“The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold …”) “The mayor asked them to leave because they frighten people,” said Brian Schwartz, the mayor’s spokesman.
Gee, isn’t that a shame?
Lance Corporal Brandon Bukrey-McCarty recalled how useful such training was when he had been deployed in Fallujah in 2006-2007. The training, he said, “got me used to looking up on rooftops, looking around every alley, every open door.”
Too bad, Brandon! Carty Finkbeiner thinks having U.S. soldiers in town will frighten the voters, so your comrades will just have to do without that training.
The company’s commanding officer, Major Jeffrey O’Neill, was disappointed by Carty Finkbeiner’s cold shoulder—it would, he noted, be difficult to find a suitable alternative venue for the exercise—but “we’re Marines,” he said, “We’ll adapt and overcome.”
I have no doubt about that. I hope part of the adaptation will be to present the City of Toledo—or maybe Carty Finkbeiner himself—with the $10,000 tab that the aborted exercise cost the Marines.
Mayor Finkbeiner can boast on his official website that Tony Packos Restaurant in Toledo was “made famous on the television show M*A*S*H.” But when he has an opportunity to help the men and women who in real life protect this country, including the City of Toledo, he refuses to grant them the sort of permit he would routinely give to a bunch of anti-American activists who wanted to organize a protest march down Main Street.
I am having trouble believing that I am now living in a world where in the United States of America, the UNITED STATES MARINES, the greatest fighting force on earth, are routinely ridiculed by the Majority political party in the land!
I am appalled everytime I hear Hillary talk about the military when her treatment of the military members she came into contact with during her husbands term, are well documented.
These are the people that wish to serve as commander in chief of the military, yet they dont respect them enough to let them train for the ordeals they will be facing in a foreign land.
You can debate all you want about whether or not we should have gone in there in the first place, but the fact is we are there now, and to leave will merely create a vacuum in the second largest oil supply on earth. Do you really want Al Queda controlling that kind of wealth?
The issue here is that the United States Marines coordinated a training exercise with local police, and first responders, and the MAYOR decided they were "too scary" to be within the city limits.
Also note that the city of Berkeley, CA. is currently trying to evict the armed forces recruiting offices from within the city limits.
People, we are now in a time of WAR! Our sons and daughters are now IN HARM'S WAY! Politics should STOP AT THE WATER'S EDGE and you should do everything within your power to support and help these fine young people.
For those of you who do not know any military people these people by and large represent the very best among us! They understand fully the principles this country was founded upon, and they have sworn an oath to defend it.
Maybe we can deport the mayors of Toledo and Berkeley to Cuba or Venezuela, and see how they like it there.
Publius, please accept this as an article submission.
Marines kicked out of Toledo, Oh. by the Democrat Mayor!
I heard this story reported to day, and it sums up so much that is wrong with my Country.
When I served and traveled in uniform noone noticed. Today there are many people like myself, who will take the time to go over and introduce ourselves to a uniformed soldier, sailor, marine, airman that we see in public. I usually will go over and greet them by name and rank, introduce myself, and say, simply thank you, no matter what you may read in the papers, you and your service are appreciated.
But I read today, that the mayor of Toledo, Oh. managed to accomplish, in AMERICA, what Al Queda has not been able to accomplish in Iraq, that is to run the U.S. Marines out of town!
OK, so 200 Marines stationed in Grand Rapids, Michigan, piled on to five buses and came to Toledo, Ohio, yesterday to practice some urban patrol exercises. The Toledo police knew about the request for the three-day exercise well in advance, but somehow Mayor Carty Finkbeiner didn’t see the memo requesting permission for the event. So when when the first bus arrives at 3:20 p.m. and Staff Sergeant Andre Davis steps off, he is greeted by a city employee and told that the mayor wanted him and his soldiers out of town by 6 p.m. “I wish,” Sgt Davis drily remarked, “they would have told us this four hours ago.” [Update: a reader points out that it is incorrect to refer to Marines as “soldiers”: soldiers serve in the army, not the Marines. I regret the mistake. I further regret referring to SSgt Davis incorrectly as “Sergeant”!]
Indeed.
I gather that Mayor Finkbeiner (a Democrat, readers will be surprised to learn), like the folks in Berkeley, California, can’t think of the United States Marines without having the first lines of “The Destruction of Sennacherib” float through his head (“The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold …”) “The mayor asked them to leave because they frighten people,” said Brian Schwartz, the mayor’s spokesman.
Gee, isn’t that a shame?
Lance Corporal Brandon Bukrey-McCarty recalled how useful such training was when he had been deployed in Fallujah in 2006-2007. The training, he said, “got me used to looking up on rooftops, looking around every alley, every open door.”
Too bad, Brandon! Carty Finkbeiner thinks having U.S. soldiers in town will frighten the voters, so your comrades will just have to do without that training.
The company’s commanding officer, Major Jeffrey O’Neill, was disappointed by Carty Finkbeiner’s cold shoulder—it would, he noted, be difficult to find a suitable alternative venue for the exercise—but “we’re Marines,” he said, “We’ll adapt and overcome.”
I have no doubt about that. I hope part of the adaptation will be to present the City of Toledo—or maybe Carty Finkbeiner himself—with the $10,000 tab that the aborted exercise cost the Marines.
Mayor Finkbeiner can boast on his official website that Tony Packos Restaurant in Toledo was “made famous on the television show M*A*S*H.” But when he has an opportunity to help the men and women who in real life protect this country, including the City of Toledo, he refuses to grant them the sort of permit he would routinely give to a bunch of anti-American activists who wanted to organize a protest march down Main Street.
I am having trouble believing that I am now living in a world where in the United States of America, the UNITED STATES MARINES, the greatest fighting force on earth, are routinely ridiculed by the Majority political party in the land!
I am appalled everytime I hear Hillary talk about the military when her treatment of the military members she came into contact with during her husbands term, are well documented.
These are the people that wish to serve as commander in chief of the military, yet they dont respect them enough to let them train for the ordeals they will be facing in a foreign land.
You can debate all you want about whether or not we should have gone in there in the first place, but the fact is we are there now, and to leave will merely create a vacuum in the second largest oil supply on earth. Do you really want Al Queda controlling that kind of wealth?
The issue here is that the United States Marines coordinated a training exercise with local police, and first responders, and the MAYOR decided they were "too scary" to be within the city limits.
Also note that the city of Berkeley, CA. is currently trying to evict the armed forces recruiting offices from within the city limits.
People, we are now in a time of WAR! Our sons and daughters are now IN HARM'S WAY! Politics should STOP AT THE WATER'S EDGE and you should do everything within your power to support and help these fine young people.
For those of you who do not know any military people these people by and large represent the very best among us! They understand fully the principles this country was founded upon, and they have sworn an oath to defend it.
Maybe we can deport the mayors of Toledo and Berkeley to Cuba or Venezuela, and see how they like it there.
Saturday, February 9
Questions about where money goes from the donation acct.
There have been a lot of questions on this blog about where the money goes from the donation acct. and how money gets into it, and what the money is used for.
Doing an audit of this acct. would be an involved process, so please express your opinion here, as to whether or not you wish to see this done.
Doing an audit of this acct. would be an involved process, so please express your opinion here, as to whether or not you wish to see this done.
Thursday, February 7
Deliberative Session Change??
Publis
Please consider this as a new topic for discussion.
It's in regards to the length of time we take at our deliberative session.
Atkinson's is too long and we don't get a very good turn out, especially at the end.
So, why do communities like Hampstead succeed with starting their deliberative session at 7PM. Hampstead has their meeting tonight, Feb 7th. I wonder if they are going until 2AM ?
This is from yesterday's tribune:
Deliberative sessions
Salem
What: School deliberative session
When: Tonight at 7
Where: Salem High School auditorium, 44 Geremonty Drive
Sanborn
What: School deliberative session
When: Tonight at 7
Where: Sanborn Regional High School auditorium, 17 Danville Road, Kingston
Timberlane
What: School deliberative session
When: Tonight at 7
Where: Timberlane Performing Arts Center, 40 Greenough Road, Plaistow
Hampstead
What: Town deliberative session
When: Tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Where: Hampstead Middle School, 28 School St.
Londonderry
What: School deliberative session
When: Tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Where: Town Hall, 268B Mammoth Road
Windham
What: School deliberative session
When: Tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Where: Golden Brook Elementary School, 112 Lowell Road
Please consider this as a new topic for discussion.
It's in regards to the length of time we take at our deliberative session.
Atkinson's is too long and we don't get a very good turn out, especially at the end.
So, why do communities like Hampstead succeed with starting their deliberative session at 7PM. Hampstead has their meeting tonight, Feb 7th. I wonder if they are going until 2AM ?
This is from yesterday's tribune:
Deliberative sessions
Salem
What: School deliberative session
When: Tonight at 7
Where: Salem High School auditorium, 44 Geremonty Drive
Sanborn
What: School deliberative session
When: Tonight at 7
Where: Sanborn Regional High School auditorium, 17 Danville Road, Kingston
Timberlane
What: School deliberative session
When: Tonight at 7
Where: Timberlane Performing Arts Center, 40 Greenough Road, Plaistow
Hampstead
What: Town deliberative session
When: Tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Where: Hampstead Middle School, 28 School St.
Londonderry
What: School deliberative session
When: Tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Where: Town Hall, 268B Mammoth Road
Windham
What: School deliberative session
When: Tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Where: Golden Brook Elementary School, 112 Lowell Road
Tuesday, February 5
The "WHITE HATS" may return
It has been rumored that the "White Hats" may be reincarnated.
The origin of "White Hats" is is a nickname, I believe penned by Jane Cole as a Haverhill Gazette reporter, in the mid 1970's. They, "White Hats", saw a need for changes in Atkinson and in a short time were the force behind accomplishing these changes.
The origin of "White Hats" is is a nickname, I believe penned by Jane Cole as a Haverhill Gazette reporter, in the mid 1970's. They, "White Hats", saw a need for changes in Atkinson and in a short time were the force behind accomplishing these changes.
Monday, February 4
Civility is disappearing from Atkinson politics.
MAcciard said...
Publius, please accept this as an article submission.
Civility is disappearing from Atkinson politics.
I LOVE POLITICAL DEBATE!
I do, I admit it. I love the give and take, the raw examination of both sides of an idea, or issue. The effort by both sides to get thier point of view in front of the voters. And like any other contest, there are proper ways to do this, and there are gutter tactics.
I know; the old adage is "all is fair in love and war"(and politics) but I would disagree. I believe in the time honored military concept of honor; that you dont harm non-combatants.
Although I did not attend the deliberative session this year(my first miss in 8 years) I have seen most of the tape, and I am appalled at the lack of civility on the parts of our elected, and appointed officials.
As I said earlier in a comment, there was a time in the not to distant past when a resident could come into a public meeting, and speak their mind, without fear of being belittled for their opinions on camera, without fear of retribution, without fear of having their names and reputations harmed within the community. Sadly, it would appear those times are gone.
This is the first town meeting that I have been to where I have heard the moderator start out the meeting by telling(it sounded like advice to me) the assembly that they could ammend an article till it meant nothing.
Unfortunately this is the third time I have seen our board of selectmen, who, by the way, have no official function at town meeting, abuse the privilege of having a microphone in front of them, to heckle, interrupt, and demean the very residents that elected them. That microphone is there, by the way, so that they may answer questions put to the board of selectmen by the people, not for them to pontificate from. The proper actions for town officials if they have something to say, is to descend from their thrones and speak from the floor like every other resident. And the moderator should have reigned them in for that, as a former moderator, Jack Herlihy, did many times.
I always thought the purpose of deliberative session was to debate issues, to debate warrant articles placed before the legislative body(the people), The actions of our selectmen, police chief, and moderator over the last three town meetings, four if you count the special town meeting in 2007, have shown me that there is an inherent risk for those who come into that meeting in opposition of those officials.
I have watched residents interrupted, bullied, belittled, heckled, demeaned, and for what? It is apparent to me that we have a town government of dictators, but not benevolent ones.
It is time for a change in town politics. It is time for the people to be treated with respect. It is high time we DEMANDED THIS FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS!
Publius, please accept this as an article submission.
Civility is disappearing from Atkinson politics.
I LOVE POLITICAL DEBATE!
I do, I admit it. I love the give and take, the raw examination of both sides of an idea, or issue. The effort by both sides to get thier point of view in front of the voters. And like any other contest, there are proper ways to do this, and there are gutter tactics.
I know; the old adage is "all is fair in love and war"(and politics) but I would disagree. I believe in the time honored military concept of honor; that you dont harm non-combatants.
Although I did not attend the deliberative session this year(my first miss in 8 years) I have seen most of the tape, and I am appalled at the lack of civility on the parts of our elected, and appointed officials.
As I said earlier in a comment, there was a time in the not to distant past when a resident could come into a public meeting, and speak their mind, without fear of being belittled for their opinions on camera, without fear of retribution, without fear of having their names and reputations harmed within the community. Sadly, it would appear those times are gone.
This is the first town meeting that I have been to where I have heard the moderator start out the meeting by telling(it sounded like advice to me) the assembly that they could ammend an article till it meant nothing.
Unfortunately this is the third time I have seen our board of selectmen, who, by the way, have no official function at town meeting, abuse the privilege of having a microphone in front of them, to heckle, interrupt, and demean the very residents that elected them. That microphone is there, by the way, so that they may answer questions put to the board of selectmen by the people, not for them to pontificate from. The proper actions for town officials if they have something to say, is to descend from their thrones and speak from the floor like every other resident. And the moderator should have reigned them in for that, as a former moderator, Jack Herlihy, did many times.
I always thought the purpose of deliberative session was to debate issues, to debate warrant articles placed before the legislative body(the people), The actions of our selectmen, police chief, and moderator over the last three town meetings, four if you count the special town meeting in 2007, have shown me that there is an inherent risk for those who come into that meeting in opposition of those officials.
I have watched residents interrupted, bullied, belittled, heckled, demeaned, and for what? It is apparent to me that we have a town government of dictators, but not benevolent ones.
It is time for a change in town politics. It is time for the people to be treated with respect. It is high time we DEMANDED THIS FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS!
Sunday, February 3
FUZZY MATH- THE SEQUEL
Chief Consentino's indignant ranting at the town meeting gave us the idea for a review of this issue that STILL, 6 MONTHS LATER has him upset, one wonders why?
http://atkinson-reporter.blogspot.com/2007/08/fuzzy-math.html
Here is a reprint of the original article, analysis and discussion follows;
For years we have heard questions about the umber of vehicles in the police fleet, and their relative value. We have also recently heard questions about the value of vehicle being disposed of by the chief, and the value of thier replacements, well the Atkinson-Reporter decided to look into these figures and found some startling results.;
The old Wheelchair van 1994 Dodge Ram Van Wheelchair conversion;
Kelly Blue Book Value:$3,170.00
http://www.kbb.com/KBB/UsedCars
The selectmen, you will remember, refused to accept a $750 bid from a Danville gentleman, in favor of a $1.00 sale to a Danville family.
Loss to the taxpayers -$3,169.00
2000 Ford Crown Victoria Cruiser;
Kelly Blue Book Value: $3,080.00
http://www.kbb.com/KBB/UsedCars
This vehicle was traded in to Irwin Ford by the Town?, Irwin gave the town $300 for it, It is rumored that the very next day the chief's son bought the vehicle for $400, it is a fact that this car can now be seen occasionally at the apartment building on Main st. across from Robie ln. Shady, Yes, Legal, not quite. RSA 95 prohibits a town employee from benefitting form the disposal of town property, and there is much case law that prevents a family member from serving as straw man for the transaction. By law all town property must be disposed of by competitive bid.
Loss to the taxpayers: -$2,780.00
Just in the improper disposal of these two vehicle the taxpayers were screwed and the town lost a total of -$5,949.00
The important issue here is not the price which he paid for the car, if it was more than it was sold for than the town could have gotten that money if it was disposed of by competitive bid, as the law states. I mean the chief's kid COULD have been on a car lot 80 miles away, looking for a good used cruiser, the day after it was traded in by the town, it could've hapenned that way, right? Only in Atkinson!
This blog thinks that the selectmen and the chief can no longer be trusted to dispose of vehicles on their own, it is time for a warrant article to force them to put a disposal article before the voters like they used to. They are failing miserably in their fiduciary responsibilities to the voters.
It is high time we hold them accountable! THROW THE BUMS OUT!
Now the chief stood up at town meeting, making quotation marks in the air with his fingers to punctuate his claim to tell us the truth about this transaction, and this Blog believes that he finally did just that!
At town meeting he claimed;
1.) the car was traded in to Irwin Ford for about $300.00
2.) He told his son the car was up there and that Irwin Ford paid $300.00 for it
3.) His son went up there and bought the car for $450.00, within days.
ALL OF THIS IS AS WAS STATED IN THE ARTICLE CHIEF CLAIMS WAS LIES!
He also claimed that the car had absolutely no value, he had to demand they pay him something for it, this suggestion is ludicrous on its face, but we'll go with it.
Kelly Blue Book value for a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria, police package, with 170,000 miles is over $3,000.00
Ebay has a number of them;
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-Crown-Victoria-Police-Inter-2000-Ford-Crown-Vic-Police-Interceptor-New-Inspection_W0QQitemZ280198237886QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item280198237886
Miles: 131,000 Price: $4,995.00
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-Crown-Victoria-P71-2000-FORD-CROWN-VICTORIA-POLICE-INTERCEPTOR-P71-SILVER_W0QQitemZ170190871129QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170190871129
Miles: 163,000 Price: $1,725.00 currently
Cars.com has a number of them;
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=1&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=243619766&recnum=57&leadExists=true
Miles: 83,000 Price: $6,995.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=1&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=245965742&recnum=71&leadExists=true
Miles: 59,000 Price: $6,950.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=1&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=258904518&recnum=74&leadExists=true
Miles: 125,000 Price: $6,724.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=1&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=251395748&recnum=83&leadExists=true
Miles: 116,000 Price: $5,995.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=1&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=253747766&recnum=96&leadExists=true
Miles: 125,758 Price $4,995.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=2&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=135541925&recnum=102&leadExists=true
Miles: 165,082 Price $4,995.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=2&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=135446511&recnum=106&leadExists=true
Miles: 154,128 Price $4,877.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=2&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=134864719&recnum=126&leadExists=true
Miles: 213,641 Price $3,800.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=2&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=135541083&recnum=132&leadExists=true
Miles: 183,340 Price $2,990.00
Click the links and check these online listings for yourself! These are all dealer listings, this is what DEALERS are pricing these vehicles with this HIGH MILEAGE for!
AND WHY?
Because as government owned vehicles they have been meticulously maintained!
So, THis blog's question to our police chief would be; Who decided the car had "absolutely no value at all"?
and if it was in such lousy condition why is your son driving it daily?
And if we can get these kind of prices for former cruisers with this much mileage online, is it reasonable to believe you when you tell us that the $500.00- $800.00 we normally get or the $300.00 we got before your son got HIS deal, is the BEST THE TAXPAYERS CAN DO?
The Problem with this entire scenario is that the law prevents officials form using information they acquire through their office for personal gain, or the gain of their families.
This is prohibited in the towns conflict of interest ordinance, as well as state law;
CHAPTER 643
ABUSE OF OFFICE
Section 643:2
643:2 Misuse of Information. – A public servant, as defined in RSA 640:2, II, is guilty of a misdemeanor if, knowing that official action is contemplated or in reliance on information which he has acquired by virtue of his office or from another public servant, he:
I. Acquires or divests himself of a pecuniary interest in any property, transaction or enterprise which may be affected by such action or information; or
II. Speculates or wagers on the basis of such action or information; or
III. Knowingly aids another to do any of the foregoing.
This is what he refuses to acknowledge, that he provided his son information that was not available to the general public, and his son benefitted. Further the taxpayers lost by not getting fair market value for their property.
http://atkinson-reporter.blogspot.com/2007/08/fuzzy-math.html
Here is a reprint of the original article, analysis and discussion follows;
For years we have heard questions about the umber of vehicles in the police fleet, and their relative value. We have also recently heard questions about the value of vehicle being disposed of by the chief, and the value of thier replacements, well the Atkinson-Reporter decided to look into these figures and found some startling results.;
The old Wheelchair van 1994 Dodge Ram Van Wheelchair conversion;
Kelly Blue Book Value:$3,170.00
http://www.kbb.com/KBB/UsedCars
The selectmen, you will remember, refused to accept a $750 bid from a Danville gentleman, in favor of a $1.00 sale to a Danville family.
Loss to the taxpayers -$3,169.00
2000 Ford Crown Victoria Cruiser;
Kelly Blue Book Value: $3,080.00
http://www.kbb.com/KBB/UsedCars
This vehicle was traded in to Irwin Ford by the Town?, Irwin gave the town $300 for it, It is rumored that the very next day the chief's son bought the vehicle for $400, it is a fact that this car can now be seen occasionally at the apartment building on Main st. across from Robie ln. Shady, Yes, Legal, not quite. RSA 95 prohibits a town employee from benefitting form the disposal of town property, and there is much case law that prevents a family member from serving as straw man for the transaction. By law all town property must be disposed of by competitive bid.
Loss to the taxpayers: -$2,780.00
Just in the improper disposal of these two vehicle the taxpayers were screwed and the town lost a total of -$5,949.00
The important issue here is not the price which he paid for the car, if it was more than it was sold for than the town could have gotten that money if it was disposed of by competitive bid, as the law states. I mean the chief's kid COULD have been on a car lot 80 miles away, looking for a good used cruiser, the day after it was traded in by the town, it could've hapenned that way, right? Only in Atkinson!
This blog thinks that the selectmen and the chief can no longer be trusted to dispose of vehicles on their own, it is time for a warrant article to force them to put a disposal article before the voters like they used to. They are failing miserably in their fiduciary responsibilities to the voters.
It is high time we hold them accountable! THROW THE BUMS OUT!
Now the chief stood up at town meeting, making quotation marks in the air with his fingers to punctuate his claim to tell us the truth about this transaction, and this Blog believes that he finally did just that!
At town meeting he claimed;
1.) the car was traded in to Irwin Ford for about $300.00
2.) He told his son the car was up there and that Irwin Ford paid $300.00 for it
3.) His son went up there and bought the car for $450.00, within days.
ALL OF THIS IS AS WAS STATED IN THE ARTICLE CHIEF CLAIMS WAS LIES!
He also claimed that the car had absolutely no value, he had to demand they pay him something for it, this suggestion is ludicrous on its face, but we'll go with it.
Kelly Blue Book value for a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria, police package, with 170,000 miles is over $3,000.00
Ebay has a number of them;
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-Crown-Victoria-Police-Inter-2000-Ford-Crown-Vic-Police-Interceptor-New-Inspection_W0QQitemZ280198237886QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item280198237886
Miles: 131,000 Price: $4,995.00
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-Crown-Victoria-P71-2000-FORD-CROWN-VICTORIA-POLICE-INTERCEPTOR-P71-SILVER_W0QQitemZ170190871129QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170190871129
Miles: 163,000 Price: $1,725.00 currently
Cars.com has a number of them;
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=1&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=243619766&recnum=57&leadExists=true
Miles: 83,000 Price: $6,995.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=1&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=245965742&recnum=71&leadExists=true
Miles: 59,000 Price: $6,950.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=1&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=258904518&recnum=74&leadExists=true
Miles: 125,000 Price: $6,724.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=1&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=251395748&recnum=83&leadExists=true
Miles: 116,000 Price: $5,995.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=1&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=253747766&recnum=96&leadExists=true
Miles: 125,758 Price $4,995.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=2&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=135541925&recnum=102&leadExists=true
Miles: 165,082 Price $4,995.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=2&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=135446511&recnum=106&leadExists=true
Miles: 154,128 Price $4,877.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=2&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=134864719&recnum=126&leadExists=true
Miles: 213,641 Price $3,800.00
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=2&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7cE-ALL%7cM-_14_%7cH-%7cD-_169_%7cN-N%7cR-10000%7cI-1%7cP-PRICE+descending%7cQ-descending%7cY-_2001-2000_%7cX-popular%7cZ-03811&aff=national&paId=135541083&recnum=132&leadExists=true
Miles: 183,340 Price $2,990.00
Click the links and check these online listings for yourself! These are all dealer listings, this is what DEALERS are pricing these vehicles with this HIGH MILEAGE for!
AND WHY?
Because as government owned vehicles they have been meticulously maintained!
So, THis blog's question to our police chief would be; Who decided the car had "absolutely no value at all"?
and if it was in such lousy condition why is your son driving it daily?
And if we can get these kind of prices for former cruisers with this much mileage online, is it reasonable to believe you when you tell us that the $500.00- $800.00 we normally get or the $300.00 we got before your son got HIS deal, is the BEST THE TAXPAYERS CAN DO?
The Problem with this entire scenario is that the law prevents officials form using information they acquire through their office for personal gain, or the gain of their families.
This is prohibited in the towns conflict of interest ordinance, as well as state law;
CHAPTER 643
ABUSE OF OFFICE
Section 643:2
643:2 Misuse of Information. – A public servant, as defined in RSA 640:2, II, is guilty of a misdemeanor if, knowing that official action is contemplated or in reliance on information which he has acquired by virtue of his office or from another public servant, he:
I. Acquires or divests himself of a pecuniary interest in any property, transaction or enterprise which may be affected by such action or information; or
II. Speculates or wagers on the basis of such action or information; or
III. Knowingly aids another to do any of the foregoing.
This is what he refuses to acknowledge, that he provided his son information that was not available to the general public, and his son benefitted. Further the taxpayers lost by not getting fair market value for their property.
Saturday, February 2
Candidates
Candidates:
Selectman;
V. Tobin
R O’Leary
W. Friel
Moderator:
F. Polito
Supervisor of Checklist;
M. MacDonald
Cem. Trustee;
D. Murphy
Conflict of Interest;
J. Sapia
J. Hazlett
Lib. Trustee;
J. Goff
Trustee Trustfund;
B. Snicer
Budget;
J. Blakadar
H. Morse
Selectman;
V. Tobin
R O’Leary
W. Friel
Moderator:
F. Polito
Supervisor of Checklist;
M. MacDonald
Cem. Trustee;
D. Murphy
Conflict of Interest;
J. Sapia
J. Hazlett
Lib. Trustee;
J. Goff
Trustee Trustfund;
B. Snicer
Budget;
J. Blakadar
H. Morse
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ATKINSON's Vietnam HONOR ROLL as VOTED and PASSED by 2005 Town Meeting and re-approved at Special Town Meeting Sept. 12
