Depending on his audience, City Councilman Alfredo Castillo lives in either Bridgeport or Shelton. In fact, he paid car taxes to Shelton where the tax rate is lower while paying real estate taxes in Bridgeport. Except he had no cars registered in Bridgeport.
Hmm, said city bean counters, he’s scalping us.
An investigation, according to finance officials, showed Castillo doing a dipsy doodle on five vehicles.
More from CT Post reporter Brian Lockhart:
“The city has made the decision to have the cars transferred for taxes to Bridgeport from Shelton,” said Bridgeport finance director Ken Flatto on Wednesday.
Flatto oversees Bridgeport’s offices of tax assessor and tax collector. Meanwhile Bridgeport’s part-time assessor, William Gaffney III, also holds that same position in Shelton.
Gaffney was investigating whether Castillo, 52, had improperly registered vehicles in nearby Shelton and was benefiting financially from the lower tax rate there. Shelton’s tax rate is 19.18 mills compared to Bridgeport’s 32.46 mills. A mill represents a tax of $1 per $1,000 of assessed value.
According to Shelton’s online records, Castillo in July was charged $1,902.66 in total 2023 car taxes for a 2004 Mercedes C240, a 2018 Honda Accord, a 2019 Acura TLX, a 2022 Volkswagon Tiguan and a 2023 Toyota Sienna. The cars had a total assessed value of $99,200. All are registered at Castillo’s parents’ home on Fern Drive in Shelton, but the bill was sent to Castillo’s Noble Avenue address in Bridgeport, where he is also registered to vote.
Full story here
