Nearly two months after submitting a freedom of information request for “all data and values on my personal residence” associated with the city’s two-year delay on the revaluation of city taxable property, former Mayor John Fabrizi is waiting for an answer from the City Attorney’s Office and/or Tax Assessor’s Office that formerly reported to him. When it comes to FOI requests, the city doesn’t exactly jump through hoops, even for a former chief executive.
At the urging of Mayor Bill Finch, Governor Dan Malloy and the state legislature approved this year the city’s request to delay state-mandated revaluation of city property extending into the 2015 reelection year for the mayor.
City officials requested the delay for several reasons including anticipation of tax revenue for development projects such as the Steel Point redevelopment area coming on line. Some of the higher-taxed neighborhoods such as Black Rock and North End would have absorbed the reval blow. Implementing reval also would have juiced motor vehicles taxes, scared away businesses fearing a higher mil rate as well as put some fragile businesses over the edge, according to city officials. Without a delay in reval, the city was heading for the highest mil rate in the state.
Connecticut law requires all real estate to be revalued for assessment purposes every five years to bring about uniformity in property values and ensuring everyone pays their fair share, or so it goes. Your property tax bill is a function of your assessment based on 70 percent of value. In this economy property values have sunk so as a general rule the mil rate approved by the City Council will spike to make up for the reduced assessments in order to fund the budget proposed by the mayor.
Fabrizi, who has formed an exploratory committee to seek his old job, was curious about the assessment on his house had reval been implemented. The city had paid Vision Associates roughly $300,000 as part of the reval assessment process that was delayed.
On May 6, in a letter to Tax Assessor Elaine Carvalho with a copy to City Attorney Mark Anastasi, Fabrizi requested …
“a copy from you or your agent, Vision Associates (group who was hired for the most recent valuation of all real properties in Bridgeport) of the following information:
All data and values on my personal residence located at 120 Doreen Drive as was conducted by said Vision in accordance with the latest valuation project.
The City Attorney’s opinion letter regarding not including the latest valuation data, values and assessments on The October 1, 2013 grand list as in accordance with the law, Connecticut General Statutes 12-55, Publication of Grand List, Changes in Valuation and Notice of Assessment Increase.
In accordance and within the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act, I look forward to your response in a timely manner.
A day after Fabrizi’s request he received a response from Carvalho that the request was under review. The city, as a policy, sends just about all FOI requests to City Attorney Mark Anastasi for review, information dissemination and payment to produce documents. Staff lawyers for the city say privately shipping FOI requests to the office is a drain on staff and largely a waste of time that can be handled directly by the various departments or mayoral staff. Media FOI requests, even for the most ordinary matters, are also shipped over to the City Attorney’s Office for processing.
Fabrizi’s latest letter:
On May 6, 2014 I requested specific information from you and or your agent (group who performed most recent valuation for the City of Bridgeport), regarding all data and values on my personal residence as was conducted by Vision in accordance with the most recent valuation project that Vision performed. (See attached … letter dated 5/6/2014).
In addition, I also requested the City Attorney’s opinion to you regarding the reasons for not including the latest valuation data, values and assessments on the October 1, 2013 grand list as required by law, CT General Statutes 12-55 which refers to Publication of Grand List, Changes in Valuation and Notice of Assessment increase.
I respectfully requested this information within the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act.
To this end and as of today, I have not received any of the requested information. I am respectfully requesting, once again, the information that was already paid for by Bridgeport taxpayers, be sent to me in a reasonable amount of time. By not providing me with said information, you will leave me with no other alternative than to file an “official” complaint with the FOIA Commission in Hartford, CT.
John, now you know how the little people feel.
Andy,
More specifically, now you know how YOUR constituents felt when Mark A gave them the runaround.
When I was on the council and the city provided free sidewalks to all the homeowners who lived by Testa’s catering hall, I filed an FOI request for any and all correspondence, emails, telephone notes, cost estimates related to the selection and approval of these properties.
The city attorney responded no such documentation existed. No documents in the entire city requesting the sidewalks be replaced and no documents approving the project.
John, what goes around comes around. Good karma, bad karma.
Hey John,
File a new FOI request. Ask for the same information on Mayor Finch’s house. You cannot tell me that little piece of information is not available. Then since the city will say this is meaningless because you do not have the full grand list, just do a simple extrapolation to show if the mil rate remains the same how much Finch saved himself with this little delay.
gis.vgsi.com/bridgeportct/Parcel.aspx?Pid=29634
The above is a link from the assessor’s website–the bottom figure is the assessment used for the tax bill (based on a comparison for my house)–not sure if the top number is the trended amount or the actual 2013 value if reval was implemented–and watch, now that I have highlighted the amount it may disappear.
Never mind–the top number is the 100% value and bottom number is the 70% value–thought I found something.
That’s the old information. Listed back the last bunch of years as:
… also, it was my habit to file the complaint ASAP. The City is used to it, and the FOI Commission is your friend. I have never been denied the info I’ve asked for, but it takes an effort to stay on top, and not be misguided by their stall techniques. File the complaint after the four days if you don’t hear from them, then another four days, etc. The FOI Commission WILL listen.
BARF, I’m glad you are still sharing, that was real good information when you said, “the FOI Commission is your friend. I have never been denied the info I’ve asked for, but it takes an effort to stay on top, and not be misguided by their stall techniques.” BARF, I’m glad you stood strong with your issues.
Bass Pro will save us all, once they move in, Bpt will become the “destination” for shopping, dining etc. Businesses will by fighting with each other to open here, movie stars will treat our city like St. Bart’s and vacation here by the droves, we will have to build more hotels, expand the roads in, hire more police to keep order. Yes sir, Bass Pro will save us!
And PT Barnum has a bridge for sale in NYC.
The Steele Pointe Infrastructure Improvement District will ensure any tax revenue generated will not benefit the city as a whole.
Can someone include Tom McCarthy’s attendance file in their FOI request? Not sure why the city needs a labor relations presence at these events during working hours. I hope he took the personal time off when he attends events if he is not there for his city job.
www .facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152560041624015&set=pcb.10152560042864015&type=1&theater
www .facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152560072984015&set=a.10152560072769015.1073742018.6411019014&type=1&theater
Those of us who have requested to see city documents have learned everything is referred to a staff city attorney with a six-figure salary and a paralegal. We have also learned their role appears to be to stifle and delay release of documents. This may not always be the case, but if you make a request for documents, be prepared to file a complaint with the FOI Commission.
Having complaints go the FOI Commission appears to be part of the City’s tactics. It takes months to get a hearing and can discourage those seeking to see documents.
If you are granted a hearing, be prepared to hear the staff city attorney testify the documents requested do not exist.
If the FOIC hearing officer rules in your favor in some form such as requiring city staff sign an affidavit regarding the existence of documents, be prepared to see the city challenge it in court and spend more city funds to stifle access.
John Fabrizi should file a complaint immediately with the FOI Commission.