At least 50 Norway residents attending a special Select Board meeting Sept. 29 learned that the board could not legally alter or delay implementation of the town’s recently completed tax revaluation.

By the end of the meeting, most of them threw their support behind a resident’s petition for an elected official recall ordinance.

The petition is being led by Matt Glatz, the owner of a multiunit home who said its value increased by 200% as a result of the revaluation. 

Glatz has become a vocal critic of the revaluation process, which he and other residents said was rushed and mistake-ridden, and is a conflict of interest for Norway’s sworn tax assessor.

Glatz had filed a request at the Town Office in September to have the Select Board draft and pass an ordinance allowing residents to petition to recall elected officials.

As he explained to property owners after Monday’s meeting adjourned, the Select Board has up to six months before taking any action on his request.

But if a petition signed by at least 300 voters is presented to the town, the board is required to publicly acknowledge the matter and schedule a vote at either a special or annual town meeting.

Most of the people lingering after the meeting indicated they would sign such a petition. Glatz said he will have it available Nov. 3 at the fire department and polling place during federal and state elections.

At the start of Monday’s meeting, the Select Board voted to enter executive session for consultation with its attorney, as allowed by state law.

The meeting agenda stated after the executive session the board would discuss and vote on the 2026 tax commitment.

However, when the executive session ended Chair Sarah Carter announced there would be no discussion or vote. She read the following statement, made on behalf of the five-member board:

“The Select Board understands the concerns raised by members of the public regarding the recent revaluation,” Carter said. “After conferring with the town attorney, however, the board understands that it does not have the legal authority to interfere with the assessor’s valuation determination.

“Therefore, there will be no discussion and vote this evening. In an effort to address the concerns of the public, the town is drafting an FAQ (frequently asked questions sheet) which will be made public as soon as possible.”

Carter encouraged any residents who feel their revaluations were done incorrectly to follow the proper abatement appeal process according to state law, and to contact town assessor John O’Donnell with additional questions.

About 1,000 property owners in town will see a tax decreases as a result of the revaluation. But values and tax payments are increasing for more than 3,400, many significantly.

Town Manager Jill Lathan said O’Donnell is expected to commit property taxes by Oct. 1. She anticipates tax bills will be mailed by mid-October.

O’Donnell has become a touchpoint for residents upset with their revaluations. He became Norway’s tax assessor in a stipend position three years ago and is a sworn town official.

The town contracted with his appraisal business, John E. O’Donnell & Associates, to conduct its revaluation.

Town officials and residents are in agreement that a revaluation is long overdue, having been last conducted 19 years ago.

Glatz, and others, allege that his company’s staff cut corners during the reevaluation, misrepresenting building uses, failing to measure structures and incorrectly assigning condition grades and comparative properties to determine values, among other issues.

Property owners have the burden of individually researching discrepancies and state appraisal standards to challenge a private business owner who also has the power as a sworn town official to acknowledge or deny their disputes.

“John O’Donnell is the jury, judge and executioner,” Glatz and others have said during several Select Board meetings and interviews with the Advertiser Democrat.

While a crowd waited in the Town Office conference room and traded anecdotes, one resident said the 200-year-old home he purchased for $240,000 is valued at $900,000. 

Another owner of an older home told him that factors impacting his valuation could include age, condition and foundation condition. He said his house has no foundation. Others urged him to review his property card and request an abatement.

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