What’s In Your Tax Bill? Do The Dollars Make Sense?

Tax bills for real estate and motor vehicles have started hitting mailboxes to finance the municipal budget year starting July 1. Are you beaming or screaming? Or something in between?

There’s good news for auto owners. Motor vehicle owners in the city will be taxed at 37 mils instead of the 54.37 mil rate approved by the City Council so taxpayers will receive a reduction following passage of a state law that seeks to make car taxes uniform across the state. It means motor vehicles cannot be taxed higher than 37 mils in any municipality. The state will reimburse municipalities for the revenue losses under the program.

Real estate bills are a different story because of the revaluation of taxable property that kicks in July 1. Mayor Joe Ganim and city finance officials estimate that 65 percent of residential homeowners will either see flat or lower taxes based on the city’s assessment picture. Higher assessed neighborhoods such as Black Rock and city businesses will experience tax increases.

Two years ago then-Mayor Bill Finch had persuaded Governor Dan Malloy and the state legislature to delay implementation of reval–after the city spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on an assessment firm–under the guise of a projected recovering economy. In actuality Finch did not want to face voters in a reval year. The city began the reval process from scratch. Turns out Finch lost the Democratic primary to Ganim in 2015.

With lowered assessments the city increased the mil rate from 42 to 54 mils to generate enough revenue to finance the city budget.

Four weeks ago Ganim signed a $552 million budget approved by the City Council that set the mil rate at 54.37 for real estate and personal property and includes a motor vehicle mil rate at 37 per a state-mandated cap.

Ganim announced “Since taking office I have had two major fiscal goals for the city of Bridgeport: erase a $20,000,000 deficit left by the previous administration and reduce the tax burden on residential homeowners. This budget accomplishes both. I want to thank the diligent work of my staff and city councilors who pored over the details of this spending plan in a challenged fiscal environment for the last few months. We worked very hard to reduce expenditures to keep the tax burden as low as possible. The proposal we have enacted will allow the city to invest in public safety and replenish the ranks of the dangerously undermanned police department. With the state holding its commitment to reduce auto taxes and increase municipal aid, most residential homeowners in Bridgeport will see flat or lower overall tax bills in the next fiscal year.”

David Walker, the former U.S. Comptroller General who resides in Black Rock, responded with outrage in the comments section of OIB:

I am tired of being lied to by politicians. This budget is outrageous and does not represent tax relief for ANY taxpayer. The mil rate increase will result in an effective tax rate increase for every taxpayer of about 29%! Higher effective tax rates result in lower property values. They also will make the city a less attractive place to live and to have a business. The people whose actual tax bills will go down were overcharged for years. The tax bill on our home will go up over 20%. And what do we get for it, good schools, well maintained streets, many city services? None of these! We need an independent financial control board NOW! Mark my word, this City is headed for bankruptcy if major changes do not happen soon. The mil rate is even higher than originally estimated. The numbers don’t work and the disease has not been treated.

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30 comments

  1. Thank you to State Senators Marilyn Moore and Ed Gomes, and other members of the Bridgeport legislative delegation, for helping to lower our car taxes.

    On the other hand, not much to say to City Council President Tom McCarthy and his 19 fellow City Council members for raising our house and business property taxes substantially. That’s what happens when the mil rate increases 29% in one year, and no one in the City Council bats an eye. Worse, seven of the 20 City Council members act surprised by the resultant mil rate increase % and voted against it in hopes no one will notice they were among the unanimous City Council passage of the budget that automatically led to the mil rate increase.

    I’m awaiting word from Guinness World Records on whether this 29% one-year increase is a world record. Wouldn’t that be something? A billboard perhaps? “Welcome to Bridgeport. Guinness World Record for highest single-year mil rate increase on the Earth. Drive safe and have a nice day.”

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    1. Heads up–the state is considering enacting a mileage tax in addition to the auto property tax.
      My former home increased $3,000 per year in property taxes. As an example of city record keeping, listed the sales price of my property at $65,000. It sold for $365,000.

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          1. Popcorn Queen, when you were popping your way up the popcorn ladder, did you have sex with Orville Redenbacher and did he smell like butter???

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    2. You are a little off. You meant to say: curse you State Senators Marilyn Moore and Ed Gomes for lowering everyone’s car taxes and shifting that burden onto the homeowners. A guy living in the projects also got a car tax cut. Who is paying that money now?
      Spoiler–it is you, Pete.

      Without a cut in spending, the city, state and/or feds still need the same amount of money. All these ‘tax cuts’ are just a shell game of ‘where do we get the money now’ and it always comes from us.

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      1. Your argument in no way, shape or form exonerates McCarthy. Shame of it all is this is about the best he can do for support arguments in Bridgeport. Is the split BOE going to try to circumvent proper due process in an effort to put a “ball player” on, btw?

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  2. As far as State Legislators go, when Bpt residents open their car tax bills, they can thank Senators Gomes and Moore and Reps Stafstrom, Rosario, Santiago, Stallworth, Baker, and “The Jack attack.”

    As far as City Council representation goes, when Bridgeport Residents open up Property tax bills they can thank Tom McCarthy and his City Council. (Notice I said “his” City Council, because they are certainly not “ours.”)

    Eff you very much, Council.

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  3. The tax bills are outrageous. They represent clear and compelling evidence City leaders have failed to grow the tax base faster than the budget. The Executive and Legislative leaders of the State of Connecticut and the City of Bridgeport have failed the people for years. They have seriously damaged our competitive posture, failed to constrain spending, over regulated, and done little to nothing to restructure the unreasonable, unaffordable, and underfunded retirement programs in an equitable and sustainable manner. They have lost the confidence of a majority of the people and they need to be held accountable. Bridgeport’s leaders evidently do not have the willingness or the ability to do what needs to be done to put the City’s finances in order and create a better future for all of its citizens. We need an independent Financial Control Board now! The Mayor should ask the Governor to appoint one ASAP. Otherwise, it is just a matter of time before Bridgeport will be in bankruptcy for real. In that case, the City and its employees and retirees will see much more dramatic reductions than need to be the case. The good news would be a more sustainable fiscal future and lower tax burdens as compared to the status quo. In addition, our state legislators need to make sure Bridgeport is treated at least as well as Hartford in connection with the education funding formula and residential property tax assessment limits. We have been treated unfairly for years and little to nothing has been done about it. You can’t have a strong state with weak cities. Since we don’t have county government, the state needs to step up. The cold but hard truth is Connecticut is a land of disparities. Equal opportunity does not exist within the state and people should not rest until it does.

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  4. My big concern is the areas of the city that are getting the majority (if any) of tax relief are the more economically depressed like the East End and the East Side, which are much more reliant on rental apartments. The only ones getting any tax relief are the absentee landlords who can pocket the savings without passing it onto the tenants.

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  5. Lots of complaints, no solutions. No I’m not a homeowner but what other option can you recommend? You can’t get blood from a turnip.
    Do you think if Finch would have done the reval on time the mil rate would be this high? Just a question. All these absentee landlords who pay no property taxes, don’t keep up their property, etc. What do you do with them???

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    1. Brenda, the solution this city bought into was elect Joe and he will keep your taxes down. He could have by going to every department and informing them to cut each department expense by 20%–that would have reduced the tax increase to 9%. Next, audit each department and squeeze the 9% out of department waste. Cancel department nonessential discretionary travel, expense budgets. The real solution is for more than 18% voter turnout to defeat the likes of Joe, Mario et al. who use their power and influence to line their own pockets.
      Now, the best possible solution is to divide Bridgeport into thirds, absorb it into Fairfield, Trumbull and Stratford. They in return receive enough public housing to meet Federal requirements, hospitals, universities, interdistrict magnet schools, a few yacht clubs and marinas, and the Bridgeport machine-driven government is divided, weakened and gosh, it’s gotta be better than what you have now.

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      1. Thank you Jennifer for your response, at least you have some type of suggestions that might lead to a solution. You never know, nothing beats a failure but a try, instead of constant complaining, which is accomplishing absolutely nothing!

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  6. The City of Bridgeport in its 2016 budget allocated $155 million for Public safety, or the police and fire departments. How much of that $155 million is going to the suburbs by both living outside the city? I know 85% of the Bridgeport fire department lives outside the city.

    I say this to say Bridgeport like Hartford should demand those public safety jobs be given to Bridgeport residents so as to keep those millions of dollars in the city where they can do the most good. How much better would Bridgeport be with an additional $155 million going toward car taxes, property taxes and supporting the businesses here rather that the businesses in the suburbs? Hartford does it, why not here and more importantly why aren’t you demanding this is done rather than complaining about the exorbitant property taxes you have to pay.

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  7. Donald Day, Bridgeport residents have as much of a chance of getting those jobs as any other applicant. But they need to apply and qualify. No one is denying Bridgeport residents any jobs if they are as qualified. How can you even think what you said makes sense? If jobs need to be filled are you saying don’t fill them unless or until a Bridgeport resident can be hired via the process that is the same for all? Really?

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  8. As a rule I don’t address individuals who hide behind the cloak of anonymity, but I will this time. Hartford hires only residents for police and fire departments and they don’t have a problem filling those position with qualified people. Bridgeport has the largest applicant pool of any city in the State, so are you saying Bridgeport residents aren’t as intelligent as those residents of Hartford or should have to compete with you and other suburbanites for jobs in Bridgeport?

    Bridgeport can get qualified individuals from Bridgeport if they choose to make that a priority and individuals like yourself will have to get these transformative jobs in your own city. It doesn’t make sense to you because you’re one of those people of whom I speak, taking thousands of dollars from Bridgeport and not putting a damned dime back into Bridgeport’s economy.

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    1. Very weak comment, Phil. If the majority of the BPD and BFD members live outside the city, why would the union go against the majority of its members?
      Any change in negotiated benefits will only come about when a strong majority of uniformed members live in the city.
      Otherwise it is up to the political powers to force a change.

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      1. Bob, that’s right. The late Battalion Chief Joseph DeCarlo, who was the longest serving fire union President, fought and believed firefighters’ strength was living in Bridgeport.

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        1. Warning, warning, dog-whistle politics.

          Sure, all firefighters should live in BPT when hired. Just as long as it does not affect the racial makeup of the force.

          Is that okay with you guys?

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  9. Mr. Smith, it’s not contractual so there isn’t anything that deals with one’s domicile in BFD contract. Hartford’s residency is a mandate by the City Council of Hartford. I’ll scan it and send it to Lennie and ask if he’ll post it on this post.

    [See Hartford’s FD residency requirement here.]

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  10. Phil, it is contractual for those who are on the job where they can live within 25 mile of Bridgeport. It’s not contractual for new hires and the City can set the criteria for new hires.

    Hartford says to its future police and firefighters, you don’t have to stay a Hartford resident, but you sure as hell have to start out as one. Hartford has faith if you hire a resident they are more likely to stay and buy their home there. What they know absolutely to be true, if they hire from outside the City, they aren’t ever going to buy a home there.

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  11. I remember reading a few years back there was a significant economic multiplier effect for having members of the public safety sector living in the city where they worked.
    There is the standard effect of keeping the payroll in the city and spent on local services. But also by having the police and fire employees living in the city you have extra eyes and ears 24/7 to enhance your public safety efforts. It makes sense and dollars and cents.

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  12. Don, thank you for providing this urban paperwork. Such a form, re-drafted slightly to fit the situations also should be provided to ALL members of Boards and Commissions annually, as well as City Council members. There are too many allegations that need to be quieted and could easily be so by such signed statements of those “who serve” the citizens of the City. Think about it: if you own property within the City (rather than without), if your home is affected by all manner of issues (schools, blight, parks and youth programs, safety, decreased valuations), you are automatically aware and have reason to understand the larger issues. If you live out of town, the residents you work for are not seen in the same way and your “loyalty” is to a check, both current and in the many retirement years. Problem or concern, currently? Time will tell.

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  13. A Call to Action Regarding the 29% Mil Rate Increase

    Former Comptroller General of the United States and Black Rock resident David Walker is strongly encouraging all residents to attend the City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 5th as a show of our unified outrage and strong disapproval of the recently passed municipal budget which has resulted in a 29% mil rate increase. David Walker and others are expected to address the Council between 6:30 and 7:00 with calls for specific actions to address this disastrous situation so it is imperative that residents arrive by 6:15 to show their support. Please make every effort to attend and please distribute this announcement to your respective distribution lists.

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