Selectmen Elect Officers, Set Agenda

The Salem Board of Selectmen elected Everett McBride, Jr. its new Chairman with a 3-0-2 vote.

Selectmen James Keller and Michael Lyons abstained.

McBride said he believes the board worked well together in the previous year and will do the same moving forward.

The board also elected Selectman Patrick Hargreaves to serve as Vice President and Stephen Campbell as Secretary.

 In the coming year, the board plans to consider changing elderly exemption income limits and to review areas of the Selectmen Bylaws that are of concern to members.

Specifically, Lyons requested the board review the bylaws regarding non-public session.

Lyons, who Campbell questioned during the board’s Monday evening meeting about violating the Selectmen’s code of conduct by revealing to a reporter information discussed in a non-public session, expressed concern their bylaws may not conform to state laws.

For example, “State law says anyone whose performance is discussed in a non-public meeting has the right to have their performance discussed in public,” Lyons said, adding he is “frustrated by the lack of transparency in this process.”

“We need to clean up our act,” he said, noting state laws trump the Selectmen’s Bylaws.

Keller, also questioned about speaking with the reporter about information protected by the regulations for non-public meetings, said he never discussed information from that non-public meeting and has a written letter from the reporter confirming he refused to comment.

Additionally, Keller noted Hargreaves heard him tell the reporter he had “no comment” when questioned about the non-public meeting.

McBride said in the next year the board will review the Selectmen’s Bylaws pertaining to non-public meetings, as well as other areas of concern.

Additionally, the board plans to review and potentially update the town’s elderly exemption income limits and exemption amounts.

Campbell noted the income limits haven’t changed since 2006.

“If we increase the exemption amount, there would be a hit to the [town’s] revenue. But I would think we should update this somehow,” he said. “I would hate to see people who have lived here for 40 years unable to stay in the house they brought their family up in.”

Town Manager Keith Hickey said the tax exemptions granted based on the income limits in place account for 11 cents of the tax rate.

Because it’s impossible to know how many people would qualify for tax exemptions if the income limit were increased, Hickey said the assessor is unable to provide an estimate of the impact such an increase would have on town revenue.

Hickey said about 20 percent of residents who apply for exemptions are denied because they receive an income or have assets higher than the limit in place. And many residents don’t even bother to apply.

Campbell suggested the board consider the method used to set the limit in 2006 and move forward with re-setting the income limits in the coming months.

“If the board [changes the income limits], we would want to do it before budget season so it can be taken into account when revenues are set for next year,” he said.