PERU — Town Clerk Vera Parent was authorized by selectmen Monday evening to spend around $350 to mail postcards reminding residents to pay their taxes.
Parent said there were about 1,000 people she wanted to send a reminder to, and that with stamps at 35 cents, it would cost about $350.
“Last year, I didn’t send out any postcards, and I had people coming up to me and saying, ‘You didn’t send me a reminder,’” Parent told the board.
Selectman Jim Pulsifer said he disagreed with mailing postcards to remind people to pay their taxes.
“We shouldn’t have to send people postcards as much as we do,” Pulsifer said. “People know what the rules are, and should know that they have to follow them. I don’t see why we need to spend money to tell people to do it.”
Selectman John Witherell said that it’s “nice for people to receive reminders. People forget to do things sometimes, especially as we get older.”
Chairman Larry Snowman agreed with Pulsifer, adding that he had a “hard time spending $350 just to remind people to pay their taxes.”
Parent pointed out that the reminders result in more people paying their taxes, which means the town recoups money they may not have gotten.
“I mean, there will still be people who get the reminders and still don’t pay, but this way, you’re reminding people who may have just forgotten,” Parent said.
In other business, the board voted 3-1 to reappoint John Plumley as code enforcement officer and David Errington as licensed plumbing inspector.
Pulsifer cast the dissenting vote.
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