Mayor Bill Finch will submit his proposed budget to the City Council in four weeks with less tax revenue than last year. From CT Post scribe Brian Lockhart:
A year after City Hall celebrated a near 1 percent increase in the grand list–the amount of taxable property–some of those gains were lost.
The grand list decreased from $7,052,118,795 in 2012 to $6,989,972,364 in 2013, according to paperwork the tax assessor filed with the town clerk this week.
The mayor’s office blamed the movement on several demolition projects and land purchases by nonprofits.
Entire story here.
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Taxable properties had sunk to the lowest level when Steel Point was given away along with its TIF vehicle. Thank God we have Black Rock and businesses to cover the loss. You get what you elect!
Just because I believe in free enterprise doesn’t mean I approve of land purchases by nonprofits, especially if it reduces Bridgeport’s grand list.
As long as we have to be the centerpiece for the area’s ills, we will keep getting the non-profits buying up taxable property and our grand list will continue to shrink.
Non-profits need to be looked at in a different way. One example, take St. Vincent’s hospital. They are buying up many of the multifamily dwellings surrounding the hospital. They also have clinic on Lindley St and Main St that are not taxable. Hospital main buildings should be exempt and anything else should be taxed.
Storefront churches should be looked at, we have these churches on almost every corner. There should be a minimum number of parishioners before they get tax-exempt status.
There should be a moratorium on halfway houses and drug rehabs, enough already. How many of these facilities are in the neighboring burbs? None.
The Mayor does not address this critical issue but his fingerprints are all over it. Bill has friends at the State where he begs for relief or funds every time there is a big problem. So he has Elaine tell us Vision Governmental is not through with their work. AND THAT IS TRUE. They have been paid for 80% of their contract. What about the other 20%?
I am willing to bet you Vision owes the City time at meetings AFTER THE DATA IS SENT OUT TO PROPERTY OWNERS to sit and listen to the distressed taxpayers. But if the notices are never sent out, they do not have to provide that service. And the City has decided not to send the data out, because there would be such attention to the decreasing financial values, realistic as they are, and directly before budget time, isn’t it just easier to throw away the evidence and pretend it is not necessary?
But it is necessary for Bill’s election chances for this material to remain quiet. We have all seen the buildings come down in the West End and at the GE site and not-for-profits are always good to pick on. What are they going to say, anyway?
And Council President McCarthy called it “raw, unchecked data.” Well that could be his description. He may be used to getting that type of information from the Finance Department in the City where someone signs for the reports yet they contain miscalculations, format mistakes and other types of errors. This includes the CAFR 2013 and the City monthly financial reports for the past 18 months. Really sad. You think people would proof their work before putting it before the public. Maybe they figure no one will read it and for many years that has been true. No longer.
If you put the Vision Governmental info into envelopes to the taxpaying public, the folks who paid for the appraisal, the “raw, unchecked data” would quickly become read, reviewed and responded to. What would the Council do then, Tom? Time will tell.
Blame it on demos and non-profits all you want, but that is just a distraction from the real issue. And the real issue is no real effort has been put forth to incentivize businesses to coming to Bridgeport–if there is some constructive, cohesive effort that has been well marketed and there is someone out hitting the streets to push it and negotiate it, forgive me if I missed that. Sure would love someone to point it out to me.
Additionally, there is nothing that is happening to support the businesses that are existing and struggling. Again, if I missed an ongoing effort, please point it out to me. The mil rate is the issue–it affects property values and it affects personal property and the taxation thereof. Basically at this point it’s why go to Bridgeport when you can go ANYWHERE else? The blame game is getting annoying. There is little in the accountability department and not much being shown to the Citizens of Bridgeport of what is being done to increase the grand list. I am sure there is someone working hard over there, spinning their wheels and getting nowhere–someone who will be a scapegoat in the future because he or she was not heard, and meanwhile it was business as usual. Blah, blah, blah. And we all know this is the posturing that goes on before the citizens of Bridgeport have to brace themselves for another financial blow. The first little tidbit that gets leaked out to build a case.
It is disturbing to learn a hospital is removing grand list property–they are highly profitiable. This isn’t a Mayor Finch issue–it’s a longstanding federal policy.
Churches are not massive beneficiaries of entitlement programs but the recent election did show the almighty dollar’s ability to draw a crowd on a day besides Sunday. My government has shown an ability to tax, borrow or inflate the currency to satisfy the wishes of the medical industrial complex.
*** I would say about 50% of the city’s property is taken up by non-profit organizations, which contribute “zero dollars” towards the city’s taxes. Those that perform a city or state service that would only cost much more if actually run and performed by the city or state and are successful in doing what they do, taxes should be covered at least 80% by city or state government with the other 20% falling on the non-profit, if in fact they’re making extra budget money! Those that are not successful and say after a three-year lease with the city or state government are deemed as not performing a continued reliable service to the community should be terminated as 501 C’s or whatever it’s called along with benefits after a one-year probation period to see if they improve their overall status! Also maybe it’s time for the city to hold a two-year moratorium on any new non-profits in the city of Bpt while a study is made on ways to save and/or recoup some money from these non-profits. It just cannot continue the way it is with good solid non-profits doing all the work and those that do nothing recouping the benefits with the tax burden falling on city taxpayers! *** GET IN GEAR, CITY COUNCIL ***
If revenue is lost from a decrease in taxable property, either the mil rate for other properties is increased, resulting in increased taxes, or expenses are reduced to avoid a tax increase.
Perhaps when the esteemed members of the city council return from their latest junket spending taxpayers’ money, they can begin identifying expense-reduction measures, including the elimination of unnecessary functions, even entire departments.
Did anyone see the fire at 1150 Main Street last night on the news? A homeless man was sent to the hospital due to his burns.
I blame Bridgeport for this one. That building has been vacant for about 30 years. Circa 1994 the City of Bridgeport, under the aegis of Joe Ganim, took half the block between Fairfield Avenue and Golden Hill Street on Main Street by EMINENT DOMAIN for redevelopment. This is a blatant example of why governments should never run a business. Up until 1994 my family owned 1128/1130 Main Street and paid taxes based upon $400,000 valuation. They stole the building and have been getting $0 in taxes since.
What can you expect from a mayor who’s more worried about clean and green than he is about development? WE have been listening to BS about Steel Point since 1987. Nothing but promises. In the meantime we demolished a bunch of taxpayer properties. BTW, just how much of his own money has this developer put into steel point? Zero, Zilch Zip point squat.
We have an economic development chief who holds elective office in Stamford so where are his true loyalties? What has he done since he came here?
Then we have my all-time favorite, the BRBC headed by Paul Timpanelli. What have they done for Bridgeport? They have championed every piece of shit development that could not find a home anywhere else. They pushed the solar panel project and they pushed hard to get Monroe and a select developer access to our sewer treatment plant even though we were at 100% capacity.
*** Let’s get ready for more city employee givebacks, raised taxes and city services prices along with more finger-pointing towards the state’s budget decisions, no? ***