The Hudson Board of Selectmen received an in-depth update on the Town’s Tax Collector Department during its most recent meeting, with Tax Collector Christine Strout-Lizotte outlining how her office manages one of the busiest and most financially significant operations in town government. From motor vehicle registrations to property tax collection, Strout-Lizotte said her staff handles thousands of transactions each year that directly support Hudson’s municipal budget.
Strout-Lizotte told the Board that motor vehicle registrations remain the department’s most active daily responsibility, with residents visiting Town Hall year-round to renew registrations, change plates, update titles, and complete new resident transactions. “On a typical day, our busiest item in our office is motor vehicle registration,” she said. “Other than the two months around the property tax bills, we primarily do motor vehicle registrations.”
For new residents arriving from out of state, the Tax Collector’s Office often handles both the state and town portions of the registration process. “Most times we can handle both the state and the town portion,” she said. “Occasionally there’s an instance where we do the town portion and we have to send them to the DMV to finish the state portion.”
Strout-Lizotte reviewed several common fees, noting that a duplicate registration costs $22.50, new plates cost $10.50, and specialty moose plates include an additional $30 charge. She added that while state fees increased in January, Hudson’s local fees remained unchanged.
Motor vehicle registrations continue to be a major revenue source for the town. Strout-Lizotte reported that Hudson collected just over $7 million in motor vehicle registration fees during Fiscal Year 2026, along with just under $14,000 in boat registration fees. “We were up almost $130,000 this fiscal year over the previous fiscal year,” she said. “So, people are buying cars.”
Property tax collection remains the department’s other major responsibility, with the busiest periods occurring in June and December. Strout-Lizotte said the office collected over $90 million in tax revenue during the last fiscal year. Residents pay in a variety of ways; in person, online, through mortgage companies, or by mail; and the department processes payments arriving both directly at Town Hall and through the town’s banking partners.
“During those months we’re collecting property taxes, we’re also doing the motor vehicle,” she said. “I’m sure anyone that’s been in Town Hall during those months has seen that we have very long lines, but our staff is awesome.”
To help manage the volume, the department maintains two drop boxes: one outside on the sidewalk for tax, water, and sewer payments, and another inside Town Hall that is highlighted during tax season. “We put balloons on it so that people don’t stand in line,” Strout-Lizotte said. “Some people prefer that over dropping it outside.”