Braintree Council Unanimously Backs Tax Payment Plan for Delinquent Property Owners

BRAINTREE -- January 20, 2026, Braintree Town Council unanimously authorized a new tax payment agreement program Tuesday aimed at recovering a portion of $2.2 million in outstanding delinquent tax liens on 146 properties, some dating to 1972. Treasurer Collector Christina O'Connell told the council the program, enabled by a 2024 update to MGL Chapter 60, Section 62A, will allow qualifying property owners to enter written repayment plans lasting up to 10 years with a minimum 10 percent down payment, with the town able to waive up to 100 percent of the 14 percent annual Treasurer's interest that accrues after a tax lien is placed, though the underlying tax principal can never be forgiven. The council also unanimously approved $4,875 in Community Preservation Act funds for the Braintree Cannon Wheel Replacement, sponsored by the Braintree Historical Society. A proposed FY2027 council budget featuring a $350,000 reserve fund line, the council's first since the fund was zeroed out in FY2023, was tabled to the February 3 meeting after Councilor Barrica pressed for explanations of why the fund belongs in the council's budget rather than as a standalone vehicle, and raised the absence of any legal counsel appropriation for the council itself.