[CTartist&musician]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

Our mill rate is 37.3 Whatcha expect? Not saying that I'm happy about it, but unfortunately there's nothing that can be done about it. If someone's paying $35k a year in property taxes, that's really atypical even for here. It must be for a high-valued property that was assessed as such.

Hey Mike,

There is something you can do about it. Our taxes in Trumbull were headed in that same direction. In fact one year the politicians proposed raising the taxes 12% IN ONE YEAR. Guess what, we kicked out EVERYONE in office and elected all new politicians.

No one has has proposed any tax increase like that since. In fact the tax increases are now right in line with inflation at about 1%-2%.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by NewJeffCT

$35,000 property tax on a mill rate of 37.3 would mean the property is assessed at $938,000, and the town considers the home's value to be around $1.34 million.

Yes, I forgot the percentage of the assessment. There are very few properties in West Hartford worth that.

@Wilton, isn't Wilton's mill rate in the low 20's? Compared to West Hartford at 37.3.

[NewJeffCT]

Originally Posted by AmyBergquist

Farmington's mill rate is so low compared to WH because they have a very large commercial base that pays into the grand list. It doesn't have anything to do with state aid.

West Hartford has a great base of commercial & retail as well.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by NewJeffCT

$35,000 property tax on a mill rate of 37.3 would mean the property is assessed at $938,000, and the town considers the home's value to be around $1.34 million. If you can afford to buy a home in the $1.3 to $1.4 million range, I would think you could afford $35,000 in property taxes.

A few years ago, we were looking in northern NJ for a home for a potential job relocation, and homes in the good school towns that were on the market for around $600,000 to $700,000 had property taxes in the mid 20s - $23,000 to $27,000/year. And, these were homes that were built in the 1930s or 40s and often had no garage, or a one car detached garage, on a postage stamp lot, and also things like original windows and/or furnace and decor from the 1950s or 60s.

Also, in response to the OP, the property taxes are based on the individual town, not the state... though, the state aid to towns does affect that somewhat. (Farmington, right next door to West Hartford, has a mill rate around 23 or 24)

You will also find equally high taxes in Westchester County and on Long Island, New York. And that does not necessarily include County taxes and/or assessments by the layers of villages, boroughs and hamlets you can find there too. Makes Connecticut look downright cheap in comparison. Jay

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by CTartist&musician

Hey Mike,

There is something you can do about it. Our taxes in Trumbull were headed in that same direction. In fact one year the politicians proposed raising the taxes 12% IN ONE YEAR. Guess what, we kicked out EVERYONE in office and elected all new politicians.

No one has has proposed any tax increase like that since. In fact the tax increases are now right in line with inflation at about 1%-2%.

Do you know what is going on in your town?

Or, is it easier to just ignore reality, and prattle on about how great Timmy Herbst is?


Read and be educated about What is in store for Trumbull taxpayers.


You can only kick the can down the road for so long before it rolls back and trips you.

[Wilton2ParkAve]

Originally Posted by NewJeffCT

The mill rate in Wilton is right around 26 the last I checked. So, for a home to have $35,000 in property taxes in Wilton, the assessment would be around $1.34 million and the actual value of the home would be just under $2 million.

Stylo should have said the assessment for the home was around $1,000,000, not the actual value of the home.

Houses in Wilton that transact at or around 2.5 million are seeing property taxes of $30-40. I found several $1mm homes for sale in West Hartford at or around $30, woah.

[Wilton2ParkAve]

Originally Posted by Stylo

Yes, I forgot the percentage of the assessment. There are very few properties in West Hartford worth that.

@Wilton, isn't Wilton's mill rate in the low 20's? Compared to West Hartford at 37.3.

26.5, but we tend to more conservatively assess/value houses. Generally below 70% of fair value. So the mill rate doesn't tell all.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by Wilton2ParkAve

Houses in Wilton that transact at or around 2.5 million are seeing property taxes of $30-40. I found several $1mm homes for sale in West Hartford at or around $30, woah.

And why does this come as a shock to you?


I know i'm absolutely beating a dead horse here, but i'll repeat myself..............again.

The "value" of your property means relatively nothing in CT when it comes to the tax bill. Your tax bill on a 6K SF/2A property is going to be similar throughout the state. Be it in Avon/Darien/West Hartford/Wilton, it doesn't matter. The bill that you pay will be similar. Period. Full stop.(In your words).

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by Wilton2ParkAve

26.5, but we tend to more conservatively assess/value houses. Generally below 70% of fair value. So the mill rate doesn't tell all.

Well, all towns use the 70% rule to determine assessments. But if you're saying they're appraised lower, that could be true. Although Wilton now uses Vision like many towns for appraisals.

My town just switched to Vision, and before that the assessments were way low, which caused the mill rate to be unnaturally high (29, I believe). It then dropped to 25 when Vision started doing the appraisals.

Basically a town will do whatever manipulation necessary to achieve their budget.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by Wilton2ParkAve

26.5, but we tend to more conservatively assess/value houses. Generally below 70% of fair value. So the mill rate doesn't tell all.

Your town conservatively assesses land in excess of half an acre. Structures are not "conservatively" assessed.