By KENNEDY GRIFFIN
(Greenfield, MA) Greenfield’s Ways and Means Committee met Tuesday and discussed the current tax title process, what some residents have called “equity theft,” with Treasurer-Collector Kelly Varner and attorney Iris Leahy. Varner and Leahy what was described as a methodical, fair, and lengthy process for issuing notices to residents who owe property taxes, the effort the city makes to work with residents and the opportunity to make payment plans, and what happens if it goes to land court including potential foreclosure and loss of equity. In response to the ten recommendations brought to the committee by resident Al Norman, there are some things the city is unable to do like adding language around the tax title process to tax bills however they are working with Mayor Wedegartner to potentially add some of this language to the website. Ways and Means will continue their discussion on this topic at their next meeting before sending a recommendation to city council.