What do you pay in taxes? The property tax, also called millage rate, or mill rate or mil rate, or anything vile you want to call it, is the amount of scratch your local government says you must pay. When the Connecticut Legislature convenes in January it will be dealing with a host of issues and a (gulp) $365 million budget hole Governor Dannel Malloy’s trying to figure out how to close. What happens in Hartford adds great weight to the taxes you pay locally.
The city’s mil rate for the current fiscal year, 2012-2013, is 41.11, similar to the rate Bill Finch inherited when he took office for mayor in December 2007. Prior year rates, according to the city’s website: fiscal year 2010-2011, 39.64; fiscal year 2009-2010, 38.73; fiscal year 2008-2009, 44.58; fiscal year 2007-2008: 41.28. Finch inherited the 2007-2008 budget so the first budget he prepared was 2008-2009.
The state Office of Policy and Management declares “A mill is equal to $1.00 of tax for each $1,000 of assessment. To calculate the property tax, multiply the assessment of the property by the mill rate and divide by 1,000. For example, a property with a assessed value of $50,000 located in a municipality with a mill rate of 20 mills would have a property tax bill of $1,000 per year.” Wouldn’t it be nice if that’s all you paid?
Below is a list of municipalities and their respective tax rates pulled from the state OPM website. Bridgeport, New Haven and Waterbury are bunched as well as several other cities with Hartford by far leading the pack with a caveat. According to the Greater Hartford Real Estate Blog property taxes are calculated differently in the City of Hartford than they are in all other Connecticut towns. Property taxes depend on legislation passed at the State level specifically for the City of Hartford. The primary goal of the special law is to protect homeowners by shifting a portion of the tax burden from residential property to other property classes, mainly the business community.
What makes Hartford so special? Well, it’s the capitol city.
Some real low tax towns in Connecticut such as Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan (with mega assessments, however) but a number of surprises such as rates in Woodbridge and Orange above 30 mils while Republican Mayor Mark Boughton in Danbury keeps taxes low. A number of states have enacted property tax caps–including New York State–something revolting to the historically spend-happy, Democratic-controlled Connecticut Legislature. Too bad they often spend it in the wrong places. Community Tax rates:
Andover 30.80 Ansonia 27.65 Ashford 31.05 Avon 25.65 Barkhamsted 23.39 Barkhamsted – Fire District 1.40 Beacon Falls 31.10 Berlin 25.15 Berlin – Kensington Fire District 1.00 Berlin – Worthington Fire District 1.98 Bethany 28.54 Bethel 24.07 Bethlehem 20.50 Bloomfield 34.55 Bloomfield – Center Fire District 0.90 Bloomfield – Blue Hill Fire District 2.50 Bolton 29.80 Bozrah 22.50 Branford 24.95 Bridgeport 41.11 Bridgewater 17.50 Bristol 28.75 Brookfield 24.54 Brooklyn 23.19 Burlington 26.80 Canaan 20.50 Canterbury 21.20 Canton 26.42 Chaplin 30.15 Cheshire 27.23 Chester 22.45 Clinton 25.18 Colchester 28.80 Colebrook 26.82 Columbia 27.13 Cornwall 14.60 Coventry 27.00 Cromwell 27.06 Cromwell – Fire District 1.89 Danbury 22.45 Darien 12.68 Deep River 24.68 Derby 35.50 Durham 32.19 Eastford 21.50 East Granby 27.30 East Haddam 21.52 East Hampton 25.97 East Hartford 42.79 East Haven 30.95 East Lyme 22.78 Easton 29.10 East Windsor 24.7263 Ellington 27.90 Enfield 27.84 Enfield – Fire District #1 3.05 Enfield – Thompsonville Fire Dist. #2 6.60 Enfield – Hazardville Fire Dist.#3 2.10 Enfield – No. Thompsonville Fire Dist. #4 2.90 Enfield – Shaker Pines Fire Dist #5 2.20 Essex 18.47 Fairfield 23.37 Farmington 21.90 Franklin 21.04 Glastonbury 30.50 Goshen 15.00 Granby 30.69 Greenwich 10.389 Greenwich + Sewer 0.612 Griswold 24.80 Groton 20.22 Groton – Sewer District 0.25 Groton – City of Groton 4.595 Groton – Poquonock Bridge Fire Dist. 5.90 Groton – Mystic Fire Dist. 2.05 Groton – Noank Fire Dist. 1.19 Groton – Old Mystic Fire Dist. 2.40 Groton – Long Point Assoc. 2.835 Groton – Center Fire Dist. 3.50 Groton – West Pleasant Valley Fire Dist. 2.82 Groton – Mumford Cove 0.305 Guilford 22.36 Haddam 28.99 Hamden 37.137 Hampton 24.80 Hartford 74.29 Hartland 24.00 Harwinton 24.60 Hebron 33.55 Kent 14.27 Killingly 19.70 Killingly – Attawaugan Fire District 2.40 Killingly – Dayville Fire District 1.50 Killingly – Dyer Manor 0.45 Killingly – East Killiingly Fire District 1.45 Killingly – So. Killingly Fire District 0.90 Killingly – Orient Heights Fire Dist. # 5 0.55 Killingly - Williamsville 1.98 Killingworth 24.78 Lebanon 23.60 Ledyard 27.93 Lisbon 19.60 Litchfield 22.20 Lyme 13.50 Madison 19.77 Manchester 8th – Buckland Section Fire 1.90 Manchester + Special 41.37 Manchester 8th Fire + Sewer 3.80 Manchester Eighth District Base 31.58 Manchester (Town) 35.83 Mansfield 27.16 Marlborough 31.03 Meriden Second 36.80 Meriden 34.70 Middlebury 28.07 Middlefield 32.15 Middletown + City Fire 32.70 Middletown – South Fire 3.648 Middletown – Westfield Fire 1.237 Middletown – City Fire 5.80 Middletown 26.90 Milford 25.60 Monroe 29.26 Montville 29.33 Morris 21.90 Naugatuck 33.55 New Britain 36.63 New Britain + Downtown 3.70 New Canaan 14.076 New Canaan – Sewer 0.623 New Fairfield 24.66 New Hartford 24.80 New Hartford – Village Fire District #1 1.00 New Hartford – Pine Meadow Fire Dist. #3 1.50 New Hartford – South End Fire District #4 0.60 New Haven + Whalley Ave. WASS 40.73 New Haven + Whalley Ave. WASF Not Avail. New Haven 38.88 New Haven+Town Green (FKA Downtown) 40.68 New Haven + Chapel West (CWSS) 41.38 New Haven + Grand Ave GAVA 40.13 Newington 32.64 New London Not Avail. New London + Center District Not Avail. New London – Personal Property Not Avail. New Milford 25.37 New Milford – Fire District Not Avail. Newtown 24.54 Norfolk 20.18 North Branford 27.77 North Canaan 21.50 North Canaan + Fire District 23.25 North Canaan, Canaan Fire Dist. 1.75 North Haven 26.54 North Stonington 25.25 Norwalk 1st – Downtown 21.331 Norwalk 2nd – South 21.331 Norwalk 3rd – East 21.331 Norwalk 4th – Sewered Main Area 21.377 Norwalk 5th – No Garbage Main Area 20.889 Norwalk 6th – Rowayton 19.483 Norwalk 7th 19.483 Norwalk 8th 21.331 Norwalk 9th 21.331 Norwalk – Motor Vehicle Rate 26.186 Norwalk 1st – No Garbage 20.843 Norwalk 2nd – No Garbage 20.843 Norwalk 3rd – No Garbage 20.843 Norwalk 4th – No Garbage 20.889 Norwich City (Vol Fire)(Town) 26.90 Norwich (Paid Fire) 31.10 Old Lyme 19.26 Old Saybrook 14.62 Orange 31.20 Oxford 24.10 Plainfield 21.52 Plainfield – Fire District # 255 1.25 Plainfield – Moosup Fire District 1.56 Plainfield – Central Village Fire Distr. 2.35 Plainfield – Wauregan Fire District 1.80 Plainville 30.89 Plymouth 34.90 Pomfret 22.98 Pomfret + Fire District 23.98 Pomfret – Fire District 1.00 Portland 30.73 Preston 19.43 Prospect 27.58 Putnam 14.94 Putnam + Special Service District 22.34 Putnam – West Putnam District 1.00 Putnam – East Putnam District 1.20 Redding 23.28 Ridgefield 20.37 Rocky Hill 25.90 Roxbury 12.10 Salem 29.60 Salisbury 10.20 Scotland 30.07 Seymour 32.83 Sharon 11.35 Shelton 22.40 Sherman 16.10 Simsbury 31.37 Simsbury + Fire District 32.40 Simsbury – Fire District 1.03 Somers 23.12 Southbury 21.20 Southington 27.48 South Windsor 29.43 Sprague 26.75 Stafford 32.29 Stafford – Special Service District 2.16 Stamford – Motor Vehicles 26.50 Stamford – "A" 17.89 Stamford – "B" 17.49 Stamford – "C" 16.73 Stamford – "CS" 17.08 Stamford – Pprop Other than MV 17.89 Sterling 21.34 Sterling – Fire District 1.10 Stonington 15.89 Stonington – Pawcatuck Fire District 1.163 Stonington – Fire District 0.55 Stonington – Mystic Fire District 1.50 Stonington – Wequetequock Fire District 0.60 Stonington – Quiambaug Fire District 0.65 Stonington – Old Mystic Fire District 2.40 Stonington – Lords Point Fire District 1.726 Stonington – Mason’s Island 1.32 Stonington – Wamphassuc Point 0.346 Stonington – Latimer Point 1.60 Stratford 34.48 Suffield 24.84 Thomaston 32.83 Thompson 22.20 Tolland 29.99 Torrington 33.47 Trumbull 30.71 Trumbull – Long Hill Fire District Not Avail. Trumbull – Center Fire District Not Avail. Trumbull – Nichols Center Fire Dist. Not Avail. Union 23.59 Vernon 33.63 Voluntown 24.25 Wallingford 25.98 Warren 13.00 Washington 11.50 Waterbury 41.8184 Waterford 19.77 Watertown 24.23 Westbrook 20.98 West Hartford 35.75 West Haven 31.25 West Haven – First Center 8.50 West Haven - West Shore (2d) 8.63 West Haven – Allingtown (Third) 8.38 Weston 24.02 Westport 17.91 Wethersfield 32.58 Willington 23.96 Wilton 21.0555 Winchester Not Avail. Windham – Special Service Dist. #2 38.67 Windham – 1 28.63 Windham – 1st Taxing District 1.55 Windsor 27.95 Windsor – Wilson Fire District 2.80 Windsor – Windsor Fire District 1.25 Windsor Locks 24.27 Wolcott 25.27 Woodbridge 33.73 Woodbury 22.58 Woodstock 21.78 Borough of Bantam (Litchfield) 1.50 Borough of Danielson (Killingly) 3.20 Borough of Fenwick (Old Saybrook) 2.45 Borough of Jewett City (Griswold) 3.50 Borough of Litchfield 1.19 Borough of Newtown 0.61 Borough of Stonington 1.90 Borough of Woodmont (Milford) Not Avail.
This is the list that puts Bridgeport on the back burner for job creation and tax base growth. If you are a company that wants to locate or expand in the New York metro area you look first at Stamford or Norwalk because their mil rates hover around 20 mils. You really have a hard time looking at Bridgeport because the 41 mils throws a wet blanket on economic feasibility. There are a bunch of tax credits and incentives if you want to take Bridgeport seriously. However those credits and incentives are for specific terms so there is a cliff built into the future if Bridgeport is the choice. More often than not the company doesn’t give Bridgeport a serious look. The only hope is if the state or city is on their toes and pushes a second look at Bridgeport. This list shows how tough it is for both residential and commercial properties.
Many scoff at the good work JML and AF are doing to promote OAT fiscal accountability. I don’t. This list is a major reason why. The experts who work in the Bridgeport area business community and members of the Bridgeport city council need to partner up to find ways to reduce that 41 mil rate to something more competitive with Norwalk and Stamford.
Busted budget at State level and property taxes on the front burner? Financial issues are heating up it seems and we need to be aware of good information. Lennie, where is the most current list of Bridgeport’s top taxpayers? At times it seems this info has been provided in budget or CAFR reports. At the moment I am not sure where such a list would be.
Background info:
1) City provides a proposal as to operating budget.
2) Council B&A reviews then recommends to entire 20 Council members for a vote.
3) Necessary property tax dollars to fund budget expectations are compared to Net Grand List and mil rate for coming year is computed.
4) Tax bills using mil rate for year and assessment on Grand List (October 1, 2008 valuation) are issued.
Five-year revaluation process expected in next few months to have new property value for revised Net Grand List with October 1, 2013 values. If residential property values have dropped since 2008 as noted in market reports and as many observe then Net Grand List may decrease. Consequently Mil rates will increase (unless Economic Development has multiple rabbits to pull from the Annex hat, and we know that takes effort and time!) Everything assumes the assessment process is accurate and fair as well as OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE and TRANSPARENT. Time will tell.
Switch to a County tax?
WC,
Is there a current County structure with public representation and a power to tax? Or are you suggesting a regional approach, not necessarily County wide, that would require State legislature deliberation, approval, etc.? What’s in it for each stakeholder in such a regional approach?
Additional taxes or alternative tax approaches look for solutions solely from the revenue side.
An alternative, a tough one for representatives who like to give things with OPMoney and find it more difficult to make hard choices and deliver balanced budgets, build rainy day assets, and manage public business to keep taxes lower rather than higher. How many legislators can you think of who operate in such a way, keeping the larger picture of public benefits, as well as costs in mind (and I do not mean those who push costs for current enjoyment into the future through debt financing)? Time will tell.
Willy: County government was abolished in 1959. Bridgeport is on its own. Every square foot of taxable property–no doubt much of it requiring redevelopment–is needed for the municipality to provide services the community wants.
JML and rare allies are the few who want to look at things realistically. It is not necessarily–sometimes–about cutting government as much as growing government revenues.
You’ve got to stop fighting, all of you, and figure out how to make the system work.
This ain’t news.
I would love John Marshall Lee’s take on the concept comparing mil rates is like comparing apples and oranges (and bananas, and I can’t come up with 165 other fruits).
For most communities, the mil rate is determined by dividing the revenue required (budget) by the net value of all *TAXABLE* property.
The only thing for which the comparison between mil rates above is applicable is motor vehicles where the value is set by the state, and the same in every community. I resented that Bpt’s mil rate was (is) so high when I worked in Wilton. My car spent more time in Wilton than in Bpt, and if it had been taxed there, what I paid would have been (and still would be) half of what it was.
But … you also get different services from the budget. In Wilton, you have to pay for trash pick up (or bring it to the “transfer station”).
My bottom line is mil rates are a bad tool to use to compare taxes and the tax burdens between communities. (Within a community you can do wonders.)
I believe a large part of the problem leading to Bridgeport’s astronomical taxes is the fact nearly half the city’s land is non-taxable for one reason or another. A temporary moratorium on any *new* non-profit or non-taxable organizations coming into Bridgeport would inevitably slow the bleeding. It would spread the tax burden over a larger base and ultimately make Bridgeport more attractive to job-creating, tax-paying companies while forcing Trumbull, Fairfield, Stratford and other surrounding towns to share some of the responsibility of housing these non-taxables.
Cisco, you are right on the money. 47% of our grand list is nontaxable property for which the state gives us a small amount of money. The money we receive from the state is a small percentage of what the actual taxes would be.
We are the social conscience of Fairfield County. We have homeless shelters, detox centers. halfway houses and the list goes on and on.
What frosts my ass is during the last charter question the hospitals and other non profits were allowed to donate large sums of money to the yes group who were in favor of charter change.
I checked this out and was told there is a loophole in the law that allows them to do this. In my opinion if these non profits want to play in the political arena then they should not be tax free.
Cisco,
Moratoriums on NGO, church, government and other non-taxable property is a problem. But getting a moratorium passed, monitored and suspended at some future time or not seems a less attractive way of doing things than another idea I have offered in the past.
To the extent that “payments in lieu of taxes” come into Bridgeport for a variety of properties we need to look at those revenue sources, understand the % of value at which they are paid, and then understand the shortfall. I have not seen such research and calculations, but raising that question may get someone to supply such. (The actual past and current revenues can be viewed in proposed budgets and/or current monthly reports under REVENUES.
We get some funds for hospitals and educational institutions but what about real or personal property owned by United Way for example? Is it currently taxed? Probably not unless voluntary payments are made, and who does that in a difficult economy?
What if the Assessor’s office (per State Law, local ordinance, etc.) was able to send tax bills to all those groups for 50% of their valuation, about the % of City expenses if you remove education expenses. Groups and organizations do not have children and won’t use the schools, but they receive services from public safety and from many other City employees. Help us pay them and load the 50% of regular taxes to your agency expenses. Yes it will cost more, but it will not beggar the community and its members. Why is this not discussed? Perhaps there are reasons why this is not wise, however it is less effort to work to change our current rules than to fuss and fume about the increasing tax spiral. Time will tell.
*** More like 49% non-taxable property in Bpt along with poor government dependent residents and city government skeleton staffed depts that should be collecting much more incoming revenue but don’t! (Town clerks, zoning, weights & measures, health dept etc.) Overtaxed city property owners in general, paid out legal fees and suit settlements, top-heavy city salaries & pensions, etc. along with pay to play politics, all contribute to the Zombie type of ratings a city like Bpt is! *** SANDY TAX IS COMING, NO? ***
The reason why we don’t have any mil-rate-lowering, high-value tax base development is because Governor Malloy and Mayor Finch et al. are complicit in the plan to keep Bridgeport in place as the “servants’ quarters” for Stamford/the Gold Coast/suburbs. It is in the plan (“One Coast, One Future”) for us to host the social-services sector/criminal-justice services for Fairfield County. Therefore we get the jails, methadone clinics, etc., while Stamford gets the Bridgewaters and Charter Communications, along with $200 million of incentivizing “first-five” money from Hartford.
We could have high-value development here if the “right people” wanted it to be here. There are state and federal incentives, plus what we could come up with as city, to make it worthwhile, economically, to come to Bridgeport. Why is it we attract so many box stores, warehouses, waste storage/transfer depots, incinerators, power plants etc.? They all have to deal with our tax rate.
And, if the “right people” wanted us to have high-value, job intensive tax base, the local taxes on such establishments could be defrayed by way of many economic incentives related to enterprise zone employment, etc.
Bridgeport needs to start voting its self interest–at the local, state and federal levels. The November 6, NO! win tells us we can vote our way back to prosperity.
How about not building any more low-income housing? You can already buy a house in BPT for $35K. How much more low income do you need? Here is the problem. You build one 1/2 million dollar house. You get ~$12K/year taxes and need to serve one husband, one wife, 2.3 kids, 2-3 trash cans, 2-3 toilets, 1-2 showers. Maybe a pool. Or, you build 10 $50K houses. You still get ~$12K in taxes but now you have 10 husbands, 10 wives, 23 kids, 20-30 toilets, 10 showers and you need to provide the pool. It is just not economically feasible.
*** HOW ABOUT THE THINK GREEN TAX? ***