Whitman Tax Aid Fund Adopts Application Revisions, Donor Campaign Still on Hold

WHITMAN — August 20, 2025 — Whitman's Aid to the Elderly and Disabled Taxation Fund approved application changes and deferred a donor outreach launch at its August 20 meeting. The committee voted 3-1 to adopt three revisions to its draft application form recommended by Jill Gettel, outreach coordinator and SHINE counselor at the Whitman Council on Aging — adding the Council on Aging as an application pickup site, broadening "savings accounts" to "bank accounts (checking and savings)," and listing Social Security before pension income. The committee could not finalize a donor flyer or confirm online payment options because the Treasurer-Collector's Office representative was absent for the second consecutive meeting; Chair John Galvin said the fund operates under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 60, Section 3D and that the committee needs to verify whether contributions are tax-deductible before publishing the flyer. A new committee website is live but requires at least four corrections, including removal of a line directing applicants to the Board of Assessors rather than the committee. The panel meets next on September 10.