Date: Fri 19-Jul-1996

By KAAREN VALENTA

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

grand-list-tax-appeals

Full Text:

Tax Appeals Whittle Millions From Grand List

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

Successful appeals by property owners have reduced the 1995 Grand List by

$14.5 million creating a shortfall of $362,000 in tax revenue for the town

this year.

Finance Director Benjamin Spragg said that when the tax rate of 25 mills was

set by the Legislative Council last month, the Board of Assessment Appeals had

not completed its hearings.

"The hearings which concluded in June reduced the $1.5 billion grand list by

$14.5 million, which means the mill rate should have been a couple of tenths

higher for the current year," Mr Spragg told the council Wednesday night.

Mr Spragg said the 1996 grand list also will have to grow by $14.5 million if

the town wants to have the same mill rate next year.

"In the long run, the way development is taking place, I don't foresee a

problem," he said.

Town officials already learned of a savings of approximately $100,000 in the

town budget and $50,000 in the school budget this year because property

insurance bids came in lower than anticipated. This $100,000 would reduce the

shortfall to $262,000, or even lower if the Board of Education agrees to

relinquish its $50,000 savings.

Council Chairman Joseph Mahoney said he would call School Board Chairman Herb

Rosenthal to tell him about the shortfall.

On Thursday Tax Assessor Mark DeVestern said what happened is "more or less

normal" in a revaluation year.

"I feel comfortable with what the Board of Assessment Appeals did," he said.

"I feel the changes were all justified because they are all now in alignment."

Mr DeVestern said most of the businesses who appealed to the board did not

file informal appeals last winter with the revaluation company,

Lesher-Glendinning, when the changes could have been made before the grand

list was struck.

Some of the larger changes in the tax assessments included a $1.1 million

reduction in the assesssment of the Ethan Allen warehouse property (reducing

it from $4.96 million to $3.83 million); an $800,000 reduction for Georgia

Pacific; $816,000 for the Danbury Terminal Railroad (which bought property

behind the Hawleyville fire station); $1.6 million for Insilco on Simm Lane,

and a $1.4 million reduction in the assessment of Young Development, 101 South

Main, a manufacturing and warehouse facility which is a division of Fairfield

Processing in Danbury.

There were 325 changes in real property assessments and two changes in

personal property assessments, according to Mr DeVestern. He said not all were

appeals, however.

"Some I brought forth myself," he explained, "including many in the lakeside

communities - Riverside, Pootatuck Park and Lake View Terrace - where there

are a lot of smaller cottages." These assessment changes were in the $10,000

range, however, not a significant impact on the Grand List.

The Way We Were

Malcolm Andrew 'Andy' Bryant

Top Of The Mountain

Garden Club Spring Plant Sale Saturday

Full Slate Of May Programs Planned By Flagpole Photographers

The editorial took no position on the budget going up or down so you're reading things into the editorial that simply aren't there. The turnout is tied to the lack of passage, in that people who came out to vote last time did not this time, indicating a lack of support on their part. Perhaps it wasn't spelled out clearly enough, but that's what the editorial was driving at, people showing lack of support by not casting a vote. The editorial did address likely concerns among voters that may have led to lack of support and lack of turnout. This lower turnout also follows increasing turnout over the past four referendums in three years (meaning it is an aberration from that), and increased turnout is something that I do push for regularly in editorials. Any disappointment you might be seeing is at the break in that trend, not at whether the budget passed or not. I'd rather see more people come out and vote "no" then not vote at all.

Lower Turnout Results In Two Budget Defeats

Clearly, property owners no longer want to bear the burden of expenses while the state does not meet it’s responsibilities. Rising costs must be addressed by actions that do not include yearly increases of property owners’ taxes. The state of CT must meet its share of the educational costs, and other costs.

Town And School Budgets Fail At Referendum

This feels like an oddly misleading headline and narrative, particularly coming from the Editorial Board. The headline "Lower Turnout Results in Two Budget Defeats" pushes a misleading narrative regarding voter turnout, and then seeks to tie the outcome of the referendum to that misleading narrative. Sure, voter turn out for this year's referendum, 18%, was lower than last year's. However, last year's turnout, 25.4%, represented the highest turnout in the most recent 10 budget referendums. If you take the time to examine turnout percentages between 2017 and 2026 (2017: 19.9, 2018: 15.7, 2019: 17, 2020: 0, 2021: 8.98, 2022: 7.7, 2023: 8.8, 2024: 15.1/17.49, 2025: 25.4, 2026: 18), this year's turnout was actually the third highest in the past 10 cycles. Perhaps the headline of this article should say "Lower Voter Turnout Than Last Year", which is more accurate, rather than creating an impression that this year's turnout is some type of aberration - a narrative that the turnout numbers, in all their binary glory, simply do not support. Further, the headline of this article appears to tie the "lower turnout" to the defeated budgets. Sure, that could be true. But, perhaps, its more likely that Newtown residents are feeling the squeeze of multiple economic influences. In Newtown, we've experienced property revaluations and increased municipal spending. Eversource continues to raise rates. The state legislature gives PURA the authority to impose Public Benefit charges that benefit a tiny percentage of the public (and subsequently burdening the rest of us). At the national level, inflation has run rampant for years and many of those costs remain high to this day. In short, the data tells a far less dramatic—and far more honest—story than the headline suggests. This wasn’t an electorate vanishing in apathy; it was a fairly typical turnout delivering an verdict that, perhaps, some at the Editorial Board didn't like. At some point, it’s worth considering that residents aren’t confused, disengaged, or misled by turnout; they’re simply doing math at their kitchen tables and concluding that “no” is the only responsible answer left.

Enjoyed the forum which only confirmed my support for Brandon Moore as the Democratic candidate to run for the state representative position. Brandon Moore did not waiver about his duty to all the people, if elected, when an issue presents itself that requires that he voice a difference of opinion for the wellbeing of Newtown residents. If Michelle Ku’s 16 years have led to her loyalty being to other elected officials, as she implied, then Newtown is going to continue to witness actions that do not protect its residents. She could not unseat republican, Mitch Bolinsky, during a Blue Wave, and once again, will not do it now. Winning that seat is critical for all. That explains why her previous campaign committee now campaigns for Brandon Moore. It explains all the endorsements he has received from local elected democratic officials. It’s why we need Brandon Moore to be the democratic candidate to run for state representative.

Second Newtown DTC, League Of Women Voters Candidates Event Planned

Appreciated the opportunity to hear from both candidates as we were present for the College Dems forum but only heard from Brandon Moore. It was an opportunity to see who can unseat the Republican incumbent and there is no doubt that Brandon Moore should be the Democratic candidate. One concerned parent posed a question about discrimination unaddressed by the school district and interestingly enough, Michelle Ku, who proudly speaks of her Board membership years, said little, while Brandon Moore passionately addressed the issue along with his experience as an Apache Helicopter Commander. This family is supporting Brandon Moore. We need change and someone who is not afraid to disagree, especially about the rising costs of living in Newtown.

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Date: Fri 19-Jul-1996

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