Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Wellfleet are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you are interested in on the calendar at wellfleet-ma.gov for details. All meetings are at Town Hall unless otherwise indicated.
Thursday, Dec. 12
- Nauset Communications Subcommittee, 9 a.m.
- District Wellness Advisory Committee, 3:30 p.m.
- Nauset Regional School Committee, 6:30 p.m.
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 13
- Commission on Disabilities, 3 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 16
- Board of Health, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 18
- Library Board of Trustees, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 19
- Herring River Executive Council, 3 p.m.
Conversation Starter
Tax Bill Delay
A combination of a late special town meeting and a glitch in the state’s software were behind a delay in the issuing of real estate and personal property tax bills, according to Tax Collector Karen Murphy.
Tax bills, which usually go out earlier in the fall, were issued on Dec. 2 this year and are due Jan. 2. Murphy said that since this year’s fall special town meeting was held later than usual, the town had to begin its work determining the tax rate later, too. The residential tax rate for fiscal 2025 is $7.11 per $1,000 of assessed value, up from 2024’s $6.83.
The select board also voted to raise the residential tax exemption to 32.5 percent, but Murphy said the state’s system was not built to handle percentages that were not whole numbers. It took 22 days to resolve a glitch in the software and get correct numbers, she said.
Town Administrator Tom Guerino said that, despite the late tax bills, the town’s cash flow has been sufficient to maintain operations and that no short-term borrowing was needed to bridge the gap in receipts.
New Assistant Town Administrator
Guerino announced at the Dec. 3 select board meeting that John Bugbee, a Sandwich native who most recently served as assistant town administrator in Wayland, was selected to be Wellfleet’s new assistant administrator.
Bugbee has also served as the town administrator for Tisbury and chief procurement officer in Franklin. He began work on Dec. 4 and will be formally introduced to the town at the next select board meeting, Guerino said. —William von Herff
