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February 20, 2009
Dear Tax Collectors and Staff Members:
I am looking forward to our 38th Annual
Education Seminar to be held at the Mystic Marriott in Groton from Wed.,
March 25 through Fri., March 27, 2009. How time flies. Today is the
last day to register for lodging, and the commuter deadline is March 13th.
We are all facing tough economic times with
difficult choices as towns tighten their budgets. I would like to
encourage you to attend as many courses as you can. At the end of
each class, each recipient will be receiving a Certificate from the
Connecticut Tax Collectors’ Association, Inc. to
acknowledge their participation in our educational courses.
Attendance for the entire class is necessary to receive the certificate.
The commuter rate is only $70.00 a day which includes breakfast and
lunch.
On Wednesday morning, March 25, a class will be
held detailing how to file and track UCC Liens filed with the Secretary
of State’s Office. The UCC Lien alerts investigators of businesses who
have failed to pay their municipal personal property taxes. Another
class will take you through the process of writing a Policy and
Procedural Manual for your Office. This is a new hot topic for our
municipal auditors. The afternoon session will be a Road Show
illustrating the “nuts and bolts” of tax collecting by Tax Collectors
with decades of experience.
Thursday’s topics will be presented by Gary Thomas,
GLT & Associates, who speaks professionally to municipalities. His
workshop will include Interpersonal Communication Skills, and Making
Talk Safe. Collectors must deal with taxpayers and elected officials
who value customer service, and no elected official likes complaints,
even when they are generated by individuals owing the town money. We
need to collect the taxes fairly and retain the goodwill of the
taxpayer. It does not mean the taxpayer is always right, and we need to
learn to communicate clearly and correctly with them. He will provide us
with valuable insight to overcome these obstacles.
Friday, our Legislative Chairperson, George
Underhill will discuss our legislative issues. This year we were faced
with Governor Rell’s Amnesty Program which was a local option for
municipalities. Steven Pedinault, a Forensic Accountant will discuss
Fraud Prevention. The economy may tempt more individuals, and we need
to be alert as to our options to tighten internal controls in our
offices.
I am excited about our program and look forward to
seeing you at the conference.
Sincerely,
Corinne Aldinger, CCMC
President |
