Wayland 2023 Candidate Profile: Mary-Ann Wohlfarth, Board Of Assessors

WAYLAND, MA — Wayland voters will vote in a competitive race this year that may sound obscure, but is extremely important.

There are three candidates running for two seats on the Board of Assessors: incumbents Massimo Taurisano and Philip Parks, and challenger Mary-Ann Wohlfarth, Wayland's former assistant assessor.

The Board of Assessors helps the town value property so that it can be taxed to generate revenue for the municipality. Voters have the chance to elect representatives who will play a key role in deciding tax bills each year.

Wayland Patch sent questionnaires to each of the three candidates to help voters get to know them betters. Here's how Wohlfarth answered:

Why are you running for a seat (or to retain your seat) on the board of assessors in 2023?

I am currently the Assistant Assessor in Sudbury. This is my career, and I enjoy the work very much.

My goal in being elected to the Board is to be an active participant in assuring that assessments are fair, equitable, and up to date. The Board of Assessors is responsible for guiding and assisting the Assessor’s Office in achieving this goal and many others, such as adhering to the Assessing calendar and voting on Warrants and Commitments for important items such as Excise tax, Tax exemptions and Abatements. I am a long time resident of Wayland, and I am concerned that the public is not as informed as it could be about how the whole Assessment process works, so therefore people are upset with the process. Oftentimes, Property cards are not updated, and the public is not aware. I have and would continue to encourage the public to watch Board meetings, look at Agendas, and read the minutes. Get involved.

Can you explain what the board of assessors does and how it affects the public?

The Board votes on a lot of important decisions that come through the Office, such as Excise, Abatement and Exemption dollar amounts. This is important because that affects the amount of money that then gets shifted to the taxpayers. In short, the Assessor is responsible for meeting a Tax Levy each year and the Board can be instrumental in guiding on how best to do that.

One of your main jobs is setting property values. How do you as a member (or potential member) fit into that process

The Board can work with the Assessor to look over sales data on a rolling basis, and encourage the department to send out questionnaires to the public regarding recent sales, cyclical inspections, and other inspections. A regular report can be generated from the CAMA database of sales and discussed at meetings. With my Real Estate background I am confident that I can be a guiding hand to the department, offering insight. The Property Values are set from two-years’ prior sales, and certified by the State. There are “out-liers” or non arm's length sales that can skew the data, and I feel that I can be helpful in determining the circumstances.

I also am interested in considering a split tax rate, and a potential exemption for personal property for small businesses. All of these factors lead to the Tax Classification hearing held before the Select Board to set the actual tax rate each fiscal year.

Do you think enough people in Wayland participate in the annual tax classification process? If not, do you have any ideas for increasing participation?

No, I do not. Meetings are rarely attended by the public. Education is the key. Once people are educated they can become more involved. I recommend the state Department of Local Services website as a great resource.