CONWAY — Taking pointers from the communities of Greenfield, Amherst and Dalton, Conway is in the early stages of developing a tax work-off program for low-income seniors and veterans.

Tax work-off programs place residents in a part-time position in a municipal department and apply their wages to one of their quarterly property tax bills, an arrangement that serves as a win-win for both parties as town governments can ease their workload while program participants get financial relief from their taxes.

George Forcier, a retired Greenfield Recorder editor who now serves on the Conway Board of Assessors and Planning Board, and Conway Treasurer/Tax Collector Janice Warner came before the Selectboard last week to discuss getting the program off the ground. Conway has been in contact with communities that already have tax work-off programs in place to learn about effective models.

While nothing is set in stone, Conway plans for the first year of the program to include five participants who will work for up to 100 hours during the taxable year. Participants would earn $15 an hour, the current Massachusetts minimum wage.

“Our recommendation was that we would just start small with five people,” Town Administrator Veronique Blanchard said at the meeting. “Just so we can get our feet under us and work out any kinks in the program.”

The town estimates the program will cost roughly $7,500 in the first year to pay the five participants’ salaries. The town also needs to determine how participants will be selected based on eligibility as a senior and veteran. Blanchard said she has received interest from at least five people, requiring a system to decide how participants will be chosen based on their income.

“I think it’s important to definitely figure out who would be eligible or who we should be looking at,” said Selectboard member Chris Waldo.

In Greenfield, for example, the senior work-off program accepts citizens over the age of 60 who have owned property in the city for at least five years and lived in Massachusetts for at least 10 years. Greenfield’s Council on Aging reviews the applications and decides whether applicants qualify. The 15 available spots are picked through a lottery and applicants are assigned to a position based on their listed skills.

Council on Aging Director Hope Macary, when interviewed about the program last summer, said work from past years of Greenfield’s senior work-off program has included entering data for the Energy Department, preparing for elections at the Town Clerk’s Office, providing customer service for public safety work at the Health Department, and setting up and breaking down rooms for the Council on Aging. Assignments depend on the needs of each department as well as the skills of applicants.

“[Applicants] come with a remarkably wide set of skills and experience,” Macary said previously. “I’m always interested to see who is gonna apply, what meaningful skills are they going to share with the city to make an impact on the department.”

Three particular offices in Conway that officials mentioned could offer roles are the Highway Department, the Board of Assessors and the Town Administrator’s Office. The town hopes that after starting the tax work-off program, with a starting date yet to be determined, it will be able to adjust and make gradual improvements.