Newtown Grand List Up About

$7 Million

By John Voket

When the numbers first began to shake out, Newtown Assessor Chris Kelsey said he had to look twice to be sure what he was seeing was true. But after redoing the calculations to confirm it, the assessor announced despite his expectations of negative growth, Newtown’s Grand List has grown about $7 million this year.

“Even as late as December, I was expecting negative growth,” Mr Kelsey told The Bee this week, ahead of his posting the official numbers with the state.

“While we had fewer assessment appeals this year, I know fewer people were buying new cars and many of the other assessors I was talking with were saying their expectations were flat,” Mr Kelsey added. “But by early January it started looking like we might have a modest increase. It was certainly a pleasant surprise.”

According to the assessor, the 2009 Grand List will reflect a net overall increase of $7, 247,197 or a 0.2 percent increase.

“It may not seem like much against a current Newtown Grand List in excess of $3.9 billion, but it is a little better than we did last year,” Mr Kelsey said.

The assessor attributes the largest single monetary gain coming from newly installed equipment to support the Iroquois gas pipeline extension that was completed in Newtown last year. Mr Kelsey said other towns on the pipeline like Brookfield and Oxford are reflecting similar increases in personal property taxes because of the Iroquois installations.

This year’s modest increase in actual dollars equals $169,801 based on a mill rate of 23.43.

Among the largest assessment appeals in 2009 was that of the Newtown Youth Academy, which initially sued the town after it levied a 70 percent assessment against the sports center. In its complaint, the NYA contended that pursuant to its lease with the town, “the parties contemplated that no property taxes on the land or improvements would be payable.” The initial assessment valued the NYA land at $566,280 and the building at $7,951,208.

Mr Kelsey initially “determined that all property shall be liable for taxation at 70 percent of its true and actual value,” or a 30 percent exemption according to the suit. Mr Kelsey has since adjusted the assessment to reflect a 42 percent exemption.

The breakdown of Net Grand List numbers and their comparisons to 2008 are as follows:

Real Estate — $3,606,435,777 in 2008; $3,617,606,376 in 2009.

Personal — $89,118,991 in 2008; $95,132,791 in 2009.

Motor Vehicle — $215,867,403 in 2008; $205,930,201 in 2009.

Final total taxable — $3,911,422,171 in 2008; $3,918,669,368 in 2009.

Mr Kelsey said that despite the federal “cash for clunkers” rebate program, “The numbers bear out that not a lot of people in Newtown were buying new cars in the past year.”