March 28, 2024

A letter to the good people of Rehoboth

Posted

I would like to tell my side of my story.

I’m sure that some of you loyal tax payers of Rehoboth that travel to the town hall to pay your taxes have discovered that I have retired. However, I have heard from different sources that they were told that I quit. Let me be clear, I did not quit the Town of Rehoboth, the Town of Rehoboth quit me. Had the Board of Selectmen read my letter of retirement, as they do with others who retire, I would not be writing this letter. But for whatever their reasoning was, it was not read. At the end of this letter, I will include my letter that I gave to announce my retirement.

But first, let me explain my reasoning on the statement I made above.

It would have been 21 years this past November that I would have worked for the Town of Rehoboth in the Tax Collector Office as administrative clerk. Some of you might not realize that even though the Tax Collector and Treasurer share the same office and that both positions are held by the same elected person, they are in fact two separate entities. Prior to my retirement, the Treasurer had an Assistant Treasurer helping with the daily duties, while the Tax Collector had an administrative clerk. That person was me. Over the course of my 20 plus year tenure I had asked on multiple occasions to be designated as the Assistant Tax Collector. Time and time again, I was declined with the reason being that the Tax Collector could only have one assistant and that being the Assistant Treasurer. Mind you that these are two separate offices.

Had I been granted this position, the pay increase would have been very slight, and that was not my main reason for the request. So after years of pursuing this to no avail, and after much consideration, I finally came to the decision that it was time to retire from the job I loved.

However, to my surprise, less than a week after I gave my notice of retirement, the position of administrative clerk was now being advertised as Assistant Tax Collector. The very position that I had been asking for for years. Needless to say, I was very upset. When I asked why they could not have offer this position to me, I was told that I was not capable or qualified. NOT CAPABLE? NOT QUALIFIED? Huh? You mean to tell me that after almost 21 years working here, doing the very same job that the new Assistant Tax Collector would be performing, that I wasn’t capable or qualified? This news was overwhelming, and since I only had about a week and a half left before my scheduled retire date, and with advice from a doctor, I decided it was best to leave immediately.

So my friends, because of my leaving early, and not staying the extra week and a half, and despite the heart breaking news that I was not qualified, I was called a quitter.

I truly miss all the tax payers that would come in and see me. I knew a lot of you for years. I got to see your kids, and/or grandkids grow up. Even if we didn’t know each other all that well, I still thought of you not as tax payers, but as my friends.

I hope that after reading this, and for those of you who knew me, that you would come to the same conclusion that I did, and that being that I did not quit the town, but in fact the town quit me.

Below is the retirement letter that I submitted, and that was never read by the selectmen at the selectmen’s meeting.

One last comment, only one selectman came to me and wished me the best of luck. No need to name names, I’m sure you smart people of Rehoboth can figure out who that was.

Sandra M Parris

 

July 18, 2018
20 Francis Street
Rehoboth, MA 02769
508-400-6425
Cheryl Gouveia
Tax Collector
Town of Rehoboth
148 Peck Street
Rehoboth, MA 02769

Dear Cheryl Gouveia:

It is with a heavy heart that I submit my notice of retirement. I have been thinking long and hard about this and have come to the final decision of retiring as Administrative Clerk to the Tax Collector’s Office for the Town of Rehoboth.

This letter shall serve as formal notice of retirement. My last day at will be August 15, 2018.

My journey with this position has not always been smooth, but nonetheless enjoyable. I have always felt at home doing my tasks in the tax collector’s office alongside some of the most respectable and capable people I know. Sadly, after more than 20 years of dedicated service, I shall no longer be employed by the Town of Rehoboth.

I shall be focusing on the smooth transition of my job responsibilities over the next 3 weeks. Please do not hesitate to call me if there is anything that I can help with regarding the turnover of my work. I have included my contact details above just in case.

Again, thank you very much for all the opportunities you have given me and I hope you and the Town of Rehoboth all the best.

I am looking forward to this new adventure in the next phase of my life.

Sincerely,

Sandra M Parris
Administrative Clerk Tax Collector’s Office

Cc:
Rehoboth Board of Selectman
Fredrick Skip Vandals – Chairman
Gerald Schwall
David Perry
Michael Costello
James Muir
Town Administrator
Helen Dennen

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