With gas prices on the rise, grocery tabs soaring and costs outrunning paychecks, residents may have to brace themselves when their property tax bills arrive this summer.
The $173 million budget unanimously approved by the Board of Finance Tuesday will sock the average homeowner for at least $200 extra this year.
And many homeowners – particularly those who own condominiums and multi-family units – are going to see even larger increases since revaluation pumped up housing faster than the overall increase in property values.
“It’s not utopia,” said Mayor Art Ward, “but I think it’s responsible.”
The mill rate, in real terms, is rising 6 percent in order to bring in the revenue the city needs to fund its roads, libraries, parks, schools and more.
The education budget got a last-minute boost to $101 million, 6.3 percent more than the schools got for this fiscal year.
“We do think the schools will be fine,” said Superintendent Philip Streifer.
He said there may be some staff cuts by attrition to pare some areas enough to ensure that there is no impact on the education program for students, but there won’t be any layoffs. He said he’s also angling to make sure that major initiatives to bolster academics stay on track.
There’s still a chance the budget will be revised again before a joint session of the finance board and the City Council adopt a final spending plan in mid-May.
City Comptroller Glenn Klocko said it appears likely that Bristol will get at least $300,000 in state aid that’s not currently in the budget.
Finance Chairman Rich Miecznikowski said that if any extra cash comes in from the state budget that’s slated for adoption on May 7, “hopefully, we can use it to get even a better rate for the taxpayers.”
Miecznikowski, a longtime finance commissioner, called this year’s spending plan “one of the most difficult budgets” he’s worked on.
“I couldn’t go any lower” on the mill rate without cutting essential services, he said.
“This was a tough budget year,” Ward said, but with plenty of cooperation from everyone involved, an acceptable bottom line was reached.
John Smith, a finance board member, said that the cooperation between city leaders and school officials was crucial, and rare among Connecticut municipalities.
“That’s what makes it work,” Smith said. “I would hope we never lose this type of discourse.”
Janet Moylan said she’d like to see officials pay as much attention to public works and other large departments as they do to the school budget.
Because almost all the property in Bristol is worth more than it was in 2002, up an average of 42 percent, the mill rate could drop from today’s 34.71 to 24.95 to bring in the same amount of money to city coffers.But the budget calls for a mill rate of 26.45 in order to bring in the necessary revenue to balance the spending that officials approved Tuesday.
Housing generally rose about 46 percent during revaluation, though some homes went up much more and others less. That means that it won’t be uncommon for homeowners to face property tax hikes this year of 10 percent or more.
The budget takes effect on July 1,when a new municipal fiscal year begins.
Click here for a PDF outlining the budget adopted by the Board of Finance
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
25 comments:
My house is 30 grand less when the city re-evaluated it? How is the city going to handle this very grey area? 30 grand is just my house, thre are plenty of homes in this city that have lost maybe 50 or 60 grand since they walked thru months ago....
City workers can afford this increase, at least those city workers who actually live here. They get their guaranteed raises and generous health care coverage, unlike the rest of us.
There won't be another reval for four years, I think. Meanwhile, we all live with the values assigned as of Oct. 1, 2007.
Remember that it doesn't really matter that prices are generally down since then (though I think housing has taken it on the chin worse than commercial property) because it's all relative. No matter what date is used, it's just a way of divvying up the total needed among the many property owners.
Thank God for Art Ward.
and how come they never acted on the property tax freeze options for seniors? Another good idea that never saw the light of day. I am so angry right now.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
By Steve Collins
The Bristol Press
BRISTOL – Finding little public support for a proposed property tax freeze for some elderly homeowners, the city’s Ordinance Committee unanimously killed the plan this week.
The plan “does not help our seniors. This does not help people looking for a buck,” said city Councilor Mike Rimcoski, one of three members of the panel.
The proposal offered by Councilor Ellen Zoppo would have allowed more than 600 low-income residents who are 70 or older the option of freezing their property tax tabs at next year’s level.
But the plan included a provision that would require anyone in the program pay back all the money, plus 6 percent interest, when they ultimately sell or refinance their property.
Zoppo said the terms of the proposed statute were largely set by the state and she could not pursue options that might do more to help unless state law allows them.
Joseph Morin, a resident, said the city should not try to collect the unpaid taxes. He said seniors who have paid their whole lives deserve the break.
Lewis Michaud said that if he were to sign on for the program as Zoppo proposed and he ever wanted a new mortgage, he’d be forced to pay back the unpaid taxes with borrowed money, making the effective interest rate on his bank loan at least 15 percent.
That’s too great a burden for taxpayers, he said.
The city has other programs for seniors struggling to cover their property tax bills, which officials said they need to do more to publicize. Taking a suggestion from Morin, the city might include information about them when it sends out this year’s car tax bills.
Zoppo, who chairs the ordinance panel, said it may be better to try to augment existing programs to include more people rather than trying to create a new tax break.
City Councilor Frank Nicastro said it “served no good” to add the tax freeze plan to the books because it would do little to help most seniors pay their taxes.
“It looks like we’re reinventing the wheel” to try to add a new program to the array of existing ones, Nicastro said.
All three of the councilors said they’d rather enhance existing programs that aid seniors than try to rework the tax freeze idea that a new state law made possible last year.
April 22, 2008 11:23 PM:
Because it was unfair to everyone else.
By meantime...Good bye Arty. I hope it was a nice two years.
I don't think you can blame the Mayor for this one. Ken Johnson would have had to do the same thing.
Expenses for everything are up. Revaluation is mandated. The City doesn't have a choice in that. However, I don't think that the reval process was done well by the company they hired.
What is disturbing is that this tax increase is just another reason for people to move out - not just out of Bristol, but out of Connecticut. The average household can't afford all of the increases we've been forced to endure.
Everything is going up except our paychecks.
Why isn't there a plan to cut spending? The attitude seems to be oh well costs are going up so raising taxes is okay.
I'm not sure about the rest of you but with the increase in just about everything I have cut back on my spending. If we as tax payers can tighten our belts why can't the city?
....4:19 That is quite a stretch. Maybe you'd like to blame him for death too?
just another example of the politicians screwing the people they serve.
i for one could put up with some reduced services from the city (say, less police or DPW overtime, cutting some expenses at the schools [my kids attend bristol schools,] or maybe tapping the rainy-day fund) to lower the mill rate in a reval year.
but, the politicos don't see it that way - just pass the buck and raise the taxes....great way to help out struggling families.....
-billy from bristol
Well I hope everyone is glad the city bought the mall for $5.5 million, made silly street improvements for $2 million and is spending millions and millions more on the site of the former mall. Oh and let's build 2 new schools for $150 million next!
We need fiscally conservative leadership. And by the way, the term fiscally conservative doesn't mean raising taxes to balance the budget.
And yes I do blame Arty Ward. Part of his campaign rhetoric was his 6 terms on the City Council (which apparently he did little to tighten the belt of city hall). Now he's the mayor and now he needs to own up to something. This is his opportunity.
April 23, 2008 9:04 AM:
You're 100% correct
April 23, 2008 9:50 AM:
You're a 100% disingenuous hack (apologist).
7:55
I agree, Kenny would have done basically the same thing.
But a good mayor wouldn't have.
He is no more the answer than Art Ward is.
11:46 AM:
Done what? Johnson never served in any capacity to have effected taxes. Ward's been on the Council for twelve years. From 2004-2005 he was "Deputy Mayor". Where's the accountability? His party's been in power for over a decade prior to Stortz, and then three terms before that and on and on.
2009: Time to say "bye-bye" to Ward.
Time to stop moving back-Ward!!
all the city is doing is looking out for its union members. What a good Mayor should have done is say "the tax payers paychecks are not going up, so why should the city increase their spending if the tax payers cant even pay for gas and milk" and then laid off some city workers and cut some services to bring down the budget for this year. Then aain you Bristol people keep electing Democrats!
A GOOD MAYOR WOULD SAY NO NO AND TELL THE UNION TO GET REAL. BUT THATS A MAYOR WHO COULD THINK FOR HIMSELF. NOT A UNION PUPPET.
Are any services being cut?
I know in my household, we have cut back on things from last year. I want to know where the city has cut back.
April 23, 2008 9:04 a.m. - I agree, you are absolutely 100% correct.
April 23, 2008 9;450 a.m. -
You are a union hating blowhard. Trying to pin the mayor for all of our tax woes is like tryig to blame a light bulb for global warming.
there is room for some middle management cuts either by attrition or elimination. The mayor is in negotiations with all four unions right now - what is he supposed to do but what they want to hear? The real story will be what he gives away when the contracts go to the Council and whether they approve them.
4:48, How come whenever anything good happens in Bristol (mall demolition, new downtown, Legion World Series, etc.), Ward isn't supposed to get any credit, but whenever something bad happens in Bristol (taxes go up) - it's all his fault???
April 24, 2008 7:58 AM:
Good question.
Because he's an imcompetent glad-hander.
whenever anything good happens in Bristol (mall demolition, new downtown,
April 24, 2008 7:58 AM
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If these are the GOOD i'm afraid to ask what is the BAD ?!?!?!
11:26...."an incompetent glad-hander"??? As I suspected, no legitimate argument, just spouting off at the mouth. Thanks for the clarification.
The mall coming down is great and Ward deserves some credit. However there were many people who did not support buying the mall in the first place and Ward was a part of it, and people have not forgotten that.
Also, the mall being down is only part of the package. 72 still needs to come through and it's on its way, then we need developers to come in. That is the true test and wth Ward supporting Rosenthal I have major concerns. However, I will reserve judgement on the issue of downtown and the mall until then. For now, Ward gets a pass (reluctantly).
As far as taxes going up, I blame the mayor and the finance board. The council still gets a pass, b/c they still have the opportunity to not approve the budget submitted to them.
Cut spending! It is absolutely ridiculous that taxes go up every year in this town. There is no way that everything has been done to keep the budget in check. That is a complete joke!
What I would like to see is returns on our investments. We have switched to automated garbage trucks with only a driver and recycling which we keep hearing is more cost effective then straight garbage removal. Yet we are not seeing a reduction in taxes. Given these changes might only be a drop in the bucket, but homeowners are looking for these drops in the bucket all over the place. We are getting hammered year in and year out. Did public works reduce their budget and staff with these changes? Maybe everything is legit, but I would like more explanation, especially in times like these. I want the city accountable to me the taxpayer for the money they are spending.
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