The City Council Monday night is scheduled to establish the mil rates for the budget year starting July 1 after approving a spending plan that calls for no tax increase. The item is listed for immediate consideration on the Monday night agenda. See here. The tax rate for real estate and personal property is 54.37. It is expected to remain the same for the new budget year.
A public hearing will also take place “Authorizing the Transfer and Redevelopment of 340 Cherry Street and 1565 Railroad Avenue” as an amendment to the West End Municipal Development Plan, in the development area of the ongoing Cherry Street Lofts.
School board member Maria Pereira and Superintendent of Schools Aresta Johnson are also scheduled to address the council during the public speaking portion that starts 6:30 to highlight the deep cuts facing city schools.
The mil rate should go down,taxes are to high.
Michael, you will likely to get no criticism on OIB when you report that taxes are too high. However, they are at the level they are NOT BECAUSE THE MAYOr OR cOUNCIL SETS THE MIL RATE.
Rather there is a limited amount of property in the City that is fully included as taxable property and listed as of an official date early in the calendar year around $6 Billion. It is called the Grand List. And then a few months later, as we are today, a budget proposed by the Mayor, reviewed by the COuncil and voted upon is approved and signed by the Mayor. A single calculation is done relating the approved budget to the Grand List and that is how the MIL RATE is derived.
For the MIL RATE to go down, either the budget has to reduce while Grand List is stable, or the Grand List must increase faster than the budgets approved. It is all in the math fraction, simple division gives us the mil rate, not any singular genius by one or more elected representative. It is why decreasing funds from outside parties including the State does not allow a lessening reliance on local taxation. Is this understood by the public? Time will tell.
Where is the outrage of the federal debt that has almost double with the Republican recent spending budget and tax cuts that are not paid for and that is passed down to residents of Bridgeport, the state of Connecticut and all Americans and 45 wants to increase spending even more. Residents of Bridgeport need a relief from those federal taxes but what makes it even worse is that 45’s new tax cut makes it impossible for residents of Connecticut to deduct their property tax and their state taxes from their federal taxes.
The rent is too damn high!
*** 54.37 mill rate is a damm shame.***