Whitman Assessors Approve $10,000-Plus in Abatements, Launch New Growth Audit

WHITMAN — March 10, 2026 — Whitman Board of Assessors approves more than $10,000 in excise abatements and exemptions, launches new growth audit. The board voted unanimously at its March 10 meeting to approve a 2026 motor vehicle excise abatement of $8,691.50 — the largest single item on a full abatements docket that also included a 2023 abatement of $551.30, a 2024 abatement of $52.73, and a 2025 abatement of $460.95. Real estate exemptions approved in a single package included a blind exemption of $500, three Clause 22E exemptions totaling $3,000, three Clause 22 exemptions totaling $1,200, and a Community Preservation Act exemption of $85.45; the board denied one Clause 41C application for excess income. The board also reversed $750 in income-and-expense filing penalties assessed in error against three businesses. A staff member reported that consulting firm Catalyst has been engaged to audit new growth submissions to the state Department of Revenue after questions arose about whether assessment system data tables may have been overwritten, with staff saying "we're looking for every penny."