Council approves waiver of improperly assessed interest on FY26 tax bills

The council authorized the town manager and finance director to waive interest and other costs on FY26 tax bills when the charges were reasonably determined to have resulted from town staff or payment-processing errors.

Finance director Beth explained that many instances involved misapplied payments and issues arising from communication problems with Lisbon Credit Union, which caused interest to accrue on accounts that should not have carried it. "This interest exists. It's not really the fault or the responsibility of the taxpayer," Beth said, urging the council to allow staff to correct the accounts and waive charges when appropriate. The council agreed and moved to approve the order.

Councilors praised staff for identifying the issue and for taking steps to correct accounts, noting the importance of restoring public trust when municipal errors create liabilities for residents.