Letter from Former Assessors' Clerk

April 2009

To Ashfield Board of Selectmen
Ashfield Board of Assessors
DLS – Marilyn Brown


Let me start by saying it was a pleasure working with Mark Graves and Rick Chandler of the Ashfield Board of Assessors. The town of Ashfield is fortunate to have such fine and dedicated people on the Assessors Board.

As most of you know, I took the job of Assessor’s Clerk ten months ago. The office was in a sad state of affairs. This was not from one Clerk’s resignation but over the last few years each and every clerk that came to the office only stayed a short time. One needs to ask the question why? Why is this a pattern for this office? From the beginning it was my goal to get the office back to running well so the assessing office could restore tax payers’ confidence once again.

After 30 years with the Federal Farm Service Agency, I did not feel this was an unreasonable task. I realized I did not have local town government experience but felt this was in direct line from my previous job. What I did not expect were the obstacles that would be thrown in my way which would make the job a lot harder than it needed to be. In fact those very obstacles are what made my decision to resign effective immediately.

The Division of Local Services (DLS) did a review of the Assessors office in June 2007. This review was done at the request of the Ashfield Board of Selectmen. If the taxpayers would take a look at this review they would see that the same problems still exist. This report is public information and I suggest you call the town hall and get a copy. It will give you an incite as to what the problems in the Assessor’s office are and why they continue. I would also suggest you get a copy of your property card and go through it well. You will know if you have four bedrooms, two baths or a finished basement that you are being taxed for. If you find something wrong have the Assessors do a walk through. The property card is what your tax bill is based on.

Very little if any of the changes suggested by DLS have been made. The only change I saw was the replacement of Mr. Thomas Cranston with his son Seth Cranston. I don’t think it takes too much to understand that Mr. Thomas Cranston still has a say through his son as to what goes on.

As far as Seth goes, the antagonism that he gave me was unwarranted and uncalled for. I would often find Seth in the office by himself very early or very late. When I confronted him as to why he was in before or after hours and what was he doing, his harassment started. Seth would also do things like take paperwork from my desk that the board asked me to make a phone call on and throw it away saying we’re not going to do that, it’s stupid. Seth would do thing like take 75 to 100 paperclips off applications and throw them on the floor. When I asked him if he intended to pick up his mess he said, no, smiled and left the office. I told him I was not his mother and was not picking up after him. The clips stayed on the floor for three days before his wife Maryellen Cranston (Town Administrator) came in and picked them up. This type of harassment was uncalled for and unneeded. I had more important things to deal with other than picking up his mess. I might also add that I have a disability that makes it hard for me to walk and the clips on the floor were a danger to me. Seth knew this but chose to ignore it.

Things got worse when I started to question him as to why he did not use his assigned password. He stated he didn’t like computers and had no intention of using his own password as he was fine with using the administrator’s general password. One of the previous problems addressed by DLS was the fact that no one knew who was making changes in the computer system. One of the first things I did was assign each assessor and myself our own private passwords so if changes were to be made then the person making the changes could be addressed. By using your own password your name was printed on the changed card. This was one of the very actions Tom Cranston was accused of when the DLS as notified of problems in the office.

As long as these problems are allowed to continue, the town will always to have a turnover of personnel in the Assessors office. I am not sure the taxpayers of Ashfield understand the importance of the Assessors office. Every building permit issued, motor vehicle abatements, Chapter land applications, Charitable forms, Farm Animal machinery tax, Deeds, Liens, property abatements and even what is put on your property card that generates your tax bill comes from the office. It is very important that everything is kept current. With the change of personnel things get behind. It is a new learning process for each and every new clerk and with the harassment on top of the learning curve the task becomes impossible to accomplishment.

I suggest the taxpayer’s of Ashfield take a close look at this problem and for the sake of the town find a solution quickly.

Linda LeVitre