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Date: 7/12/2023
PALMER — Last week, town officials reported a “glitch” in the MUNIS software, which municipalities use to track expenses and benefits, make purchases and, most importantly, calculate and process tax bills.
In an email, Town Manager Ryan McNutt stated that the MUNIS system incorrectly calculated the first and second quarter tax bills for any resident who had an exemption or abatement in the previous fiscal year, which ended June 30. A recent software upgrade by the vendor may have caused some issues.
“Instead of taking [one-fourth] of the net amount in FY 2023, our software took [half] of FY 2023. We have been in contact with software provider Munis to ensure they work with us to get this corrected,” McNutt wrote.
Town Councilor Jessica Sizer said the MUNIS glitch impacted several communities. “At this time, I am unaware of the extent of the impact of this glitch. I sincerely hope this is resolved expeditiously for all taxpayers and municipalities involved,” she stated.
Principal Assessor Keri-Ann Wenzel referred to McNutt’s brief response and offered no details, including what Palmer taxpayers should do if they received an incorrect amount and whether new bills would be forthcoming.
As of July 6, the Town of Palmer’s official website did not mention the situation. The town manager, tax collector, and assessor webpages offered no explanations.
McNutt posted July 3 on Facebook that “I have been informed that there are some incorrect tax bills folks have received. We are working to correct the software glitch and will work with everyone affected. No late interest will be applied to anyone affected.”
The Facebook post elicited 41 comments as of July 6, primarily negative, with many asking when they would be notified.
The Facebook comments included the following:
“Will you review all bills or just wait for people to notice?”
“What if people aren’t on [Facebook] or this page?”
“Are you notifying all Palmer residents or just those who complain?”
“Not sure how you don’t catch a big glitch like that. Our tax bill we just got for both quarters was basically our taxes for the whole year, which already is completely outrageous, and way overvalued and taxed.”
“How do you know if you’re affected or not? When will corrected bills be sent out?”