SOUTHAMPTON — Late fees for overdue real estate, motor vehicles and personal property tax bills are increasing from $15 to $25 starting July 1.
Residents approved the change in a majority vote at Southampton’s Annual Town Meeting on Tuesday, June 7.
The increase makes all of the late fees, or demand fees, the same as what’s currently charged for late water bill payments in town, Treasurer/Collector Jennifer Day said at the meeting. A bill is considered late when it is 14 days past due.
“This increase will help defray the increasing costs of creating and mailing these demands — postage, bill paper, staff — everything is going up,” Day said.
She also noted that under state law, if a late municipal fee is higher than $15, the collector has no right to waive it.
The article was among 32 others that were approved by the 100 residents in attendance with little to no discussion, according to Town Clerk Luci Dalton.
Residents unanimously approved the town’s approximately $19 million annual operating budget for fiscal year 2023. This budget includes an increase of about $800,000 over the previous year’s budget.
A number of articles on the June 7 warrant brought forward by the Bylaw Review Advisory Committee update language in existing bylaws.
Also approved was a new bylaw introduced by the committee that establishes a purpose, procedure and criteria for naming public buildings, structures, bridges and public lands.
Another article that was approved increases the town’s allowed quota of package store licenses.
Select Board member John Lumbra said that he put forward a Home Rule petition at the request of Puza’s Pure Food Market, 31 College Highway, in an effort to change its current beer and wine package store license to an all-alcohol package store license.
Currently, Southampton has three, according to Town Administrator Ed Gibson. Each community’s quota is defined by its size and population. The town had previously approved special legislation to raise its quota from two.
With approval of the Home Rule petition, the Select Board is allowed to request the Legislature to increase its quota of package store licenses by one.
Election workers tabulated a paper ballot vote of 95-4 to approve a Proposition 2½ debt-exclusion override to pay for a new loader for $231,000 for the highway department.
Highway Superintendent Randall Kemp said the new wheel loader will replace a 1996 John Deere 544G wheel loader.
Residents supported the measure by a vote of 155-148 at the May 17 election.
With the approval of an article that authorizes the Select Board to establish a municipal light plant, the Ad Hoc Technology Committee will continue its research into how to bring municipal high-speed fiber service to Southampton. “This process is not a short one. It can take years to deploy,” said committee member David Rooks. “The time is now to get the ball rolling.”
The nonbinding vote is the first of two required votes to establish a municipal light plant.
Emily Thurlow can be reached at ethurlow@gazettenet.com.
