Letter to the editor from Heather Smeriglio, Republican candidate for Tax Collector
I am a third generation resident of Greenwich. My grandfather worked for the Town in the Tree Department. My mother worked for Nathaniel Witherell, Social Services and retired from the Parks and Recreation department. A strong work ethic was instilled in me from a very young age, to care for others and to be proud of my hometown. I consider myself extremely blessed to be born and raised in Greenwich.
I spent over 30 years in the financial industry. It was there that I found a tremendous joy in helping others through excellent customer service, especially our senior citizens. I worked in an administrative role as a Branch Manager and Vice President.
In 2013 I joined the Town of Greenwich in the Tax Collectorś Office. I immediately enrolled in the courses offered by the Connecticut Municipal Tax Collector’s Association. I found the collection process interesting and applied my customer service skills to my new position.
One of my responsibilities was to research and process refunds. In many cases I was able to locate residents who were close to the three year cutoff, where their overpayments would be remitted to the State of Connecticut. I found this extremely rewarding.
I also took great pleasure in informing seniors of the programs available to them to lower their taxes. In one particular case, I was instrumental in helping a struggling small business owner who had not heard of the Senior Tax Credit. He was successful in taking advantage of the program.
The Tax Collector has several tools that can be used to successfully collect taxes. Life happens to all of us. In the hard cases where taxes have become overdue, I would work collaboratively with the Towns Assessor and Board of Estimate and Taxation to find the best solution. I would consider Tax Sales only as a last resort.
I am a Certified Municipal Tax Collector as of November 2017 with four years experience working in the office. I am fully qualified to collect taxes in the State of Connecticut.
When I am elected I will run this office with a respectful hand. I will be honored to serve the residents of my hometown Greenwich as your Tax Collector.
I thank you for your support.