The Town of Needham Board of Assessors voted during its April 17 meeting to enter executive session to discuss real estate and personal property exemption and abatement applications and to consider litigation strategy.

John Bullard, a member of the Board of Assessors, moved the board into executive session “to comply with provisions of any general or special laws specifically to discuss real estate and personal property exemption and or abatement applications, which are not open to public inspection,” and added that the board would “discuss strategy with respect to litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the government's litigating position.”

The board asked for a two-thirds vote and recorded two affirmative votes. The meeting transcript shows the sequence “Don't move. Second. Aye. Aye.” The board then moved the remainder of the meeting to an executive session on Zoom; the chair indicated the session would be closed to the public for the items described.

No further details about the specific properties, exemption applications, or litigation matters were disclosed in open session. The board did not discuss or resolve those matters publicly; any outcomes from the executive session were not reported in the open record during this meeting.