Whitman Tax Fund Committee Approves Checkoff Amounts and Insert for Real Estate Bills

WHITMAN — June 11, 2025 — Whitman's Aid to the Elderly and Disabled Taxation Fund Committee voted unanimously to place a voluntary donation checkoff on the town's upcoming real estate tax bills, with preset amounts of $1, $10, $25, $50, and "other." The committee, chaired by President John Galvin, also unanimously approved insert language explaining the fund's origins in a 2001 Annual Town Meeting vote adopting MGL Chapter 60, Section 3d, amending the draft to remove the word "pledge" and to reflect the committee's active status. Treasurer's office liaison Sharon Lopeckelow said the town's SoftRite payment vendor must be configured to direct online contributions into a dedicated Unibank fund account, with monthly sweeps planned to capture donations. The committee agreed by consensus — without a binding vote — that it will not accept aid applications for fiscal year 2026, aiming instead for a fiscal year 2027 launch once fundraising infrastructure, a business solicitation campaign, and a donor-recognition tier system are in place. Newly elected Board of Assessors Chair Heidi Hosmer joined the committee as its assessors representative, replacing John Noska.