In the season of property tax deadlines and with the general election fast approaching, it’s one of the busiest, highest-stakes times to work in a town office.
Lately, we’ve received reports from across the county of town office employees bracing themselves for confrontation every day.
In this week’s edition, we covered the rising tension for one town that led to at an emotional meeting of the Somerville Select Board, where two town office employees resigned, citing ongoing harassment.
The strain is evident elsewhere, too.
Jefferson Town Administrator Lynne Barnikow said her staff was “worried” about their safety on a daily basis, to the point at which officials looked into getting more security for the office.
In Wiscasset, Town Manager Dennis Simmons took to the town’s website and Facebook page in August to release a statement about how recent encounters left staff members feeling harshly criticized and disrespected.
“The comments made are not only baseless but also an insult to the very people who keep our town running efficiently,” said Simmons.
Tense times are inevitable, especially as costs and taxes rise. Municipal employees understand our concerns, because in many cases, they share them, too. After all, when it comes to property taxes, “we don’t get a discount,” Barnikow said.
Being a good community member doesn’t always mean showing up to every select board meeting, so when you’re gathering your paperwork and proper documentation for your next visit to your town office, don’t forget your humanity.
If we’re lucky, we’re reminded day to day that encountering kindness always makes the hard work of living in community a little easier. Fortunately, bestowing kindness on others often has the same effect.
