Governor's Councilor Jen Caissie insists on written performance evaluations for Appellate Tax Board members

Boston- On May 9, 2012, Governor’s Councilor Jen Caissie asked Thomas Hammond, the current Chairman of the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board, a question that surprised him at his confirmation hearing before the Council.  She asked “As Chairman, have you performed annual written evaluations of the Members of the Appellate Tax Board in accordance with enabling statute of the Appellate Tax Board, G.L.c.58A §1?”  Hammond, who has served as chairman for six years and is up for reappointment as chairman, stated that he had not conducted any annual written evaluations and that it had not been done in several years, including long before he became chairman six years ago.  In reaction to the answer, Caissie said, “I was completely appalled to learn that evaluations had not been performed in several years.  According to one source I spoke to, they have not been performed in over 20 years.”

Prior to the vote on his confirmation on May 16, 2012, Caissie informed Hammond that her vote for his confirmation was contingent on compliance with the statute requiring annual written evaluations of members of the tax board.  In setting the condition for her vote, Caissie said, “This is all about accountability to the taxpayers of Massachusetts. When a person comes before the Council for re-appointment there should be a written track record as required by the statute.  This is why the evaluation requirement was added in the first place, because people were not doing their jobs. ”

In agreeing to the benefits of written evaluations of Members of the Tax Board, Hammond sent a letter to Councilor Caissie in which he stated that “based on our discussions, I will work with our chief legal counsel to establish a more formalized evaluation process . . so that all requirements of the statute are met.”   Hammond would be the first Chairman of the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board, in recent history, to perform the annual written evaluations in compliance with the statue.

Caissie voted to confirm Hammond for another term as Chairman and stated that he was very qualified and willing to perform the evaluations and had her support.