Greenfield Assessors Flag Chapter Land Errors, Cancel August 5 Meeting

Other Committee · Meeting of July 15, 2026

Greenfield Board of Assessors discloses widespread chapter land record errors and approves excise abatements. The three-member board — Chair Chuck Green, Jim Geisman, and a third member identified as Jeremy — voted unanimously July 15 to approve motor vehicle excise abatements covering July 2 through July 15, 2026, then moved into executive session. Staff assessor Karen reported that a parcel-by-parcel review of properties enrolled in Massachusetts chapter land tax-preference programs has turned up incorrect acreage, missing liens, unreported lot splits, and deed discrepancies across records that Karen said have "been ignored for 30 years." Geisman asked whether the cleanup would generate new tax revenue; Karen characterized the effort primarily as risk reduction, noting that incorrect rollback calculations at the time of property sales are costing the city money.

The board also canceled its August 5 meeting because staff will be attending a statewide Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers class, with the next meeting scheduled for August 19.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,000 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of July 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.