[Reilly1017]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

I wish we had the auto reset of mill rates that exist in many states. In those cases, the mill rate automatically, by law drops to the revenue neutral position, and any attempt to raise it requires all the votes, hearings, etc of any mill rate increase in any year.

It prevents towns saying "Oh boy" with the extra 15% via the revenue neutral revised mill rate.

So if the rate was 30, and housing went up 15%, it would now be 30/1.15 to become the same revenue stream as before.

I absolutely hate the way CT towns tax cars as property, every year, and the same car can be so wildly different based on where you live. A $30,000 car should not be taxed 4x more in Hartford as it is in Westport. House values are different because of town, of course. But a 2021 Honda CRV should not be taxed so wildly different. It’s one of the more unfair things and clearly hurts people in poor cities.

The total amount paid on a car you buy brand new in the first 5 years that goes to sales tax and 5 years of property tax is really absurd in a state where, for the most part, public transportation isn’t amazing unless commuting via rail.

[masssachoicetts]

Originally Posted by Reilly1017

I absolutely hate the way CT towns tax cars as property, every year, and the same car can be so wildly different based on where you live. A $30,000 car should not be taxed 4x more in Hartford as it is in Westport. House values are different because of town, of course. But a 2021 Honda CRV should not be taxed so wildly different. It’s one of the more unfair things and clearly hurts people in poor cities.

The total amount paid on a car you buy brand new in the first 5 years that goes to sales tax and 5 years of property tax is really absurd in a state where, for the most part, public transportation isn’t amazing unless commuting via rail.

The metro north (rail) is very very expensive and farebox revenue is almost 70% of the O.R. Which is above NJT, MBTA Commuter Rail, LIRR. SEPTA etc.

I still don’t understand why a town like hartford which is very poor taxes a honda crv at $1,000 a year compared to like windsor at $350.

I get ct wants tolls like NY NJ .. but they dont have excise tax? So what would CT do with the double car revenue it would have? Seems a bit mismanaged.

[SteveM85]

Originally Posted by Reilly1017

I absolutely hate the way CT towns tax cars as property, every year, and the same car can be so wildly different based on where you live. A $30,000 car should not be taxed 4x more in Hartford as it is in Westport. House values are different because of town, of course. But a 2021 Honda CRV should not be taxed so wildly different. It’s one of the more unfair things and clearly hurts people in poor cities.

The total amount paid on a car you buy brand new in the first 5 years that goes to sales tax and 5 years of property tax is really absurd in a state where, for the most part, public transportation isn’t amazing unless commuting via rail.

A CRV is probably only $100 in Hartford because it's a 2003 model, not 2021. No one drives a brand new CRV in Hartford and no one in Westport drives a CRV period, any year. It's moot.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

I wish we had the auto reset of mill rates that exist in many states. In those cases, the mill rate automatically, by law drops to the revenue neutral position, and any attempt to raise it requires all the votes, hearings, etc of any mill rate increase in any year.

It prevents towns saying "Oh boy" with the extra 15% via the revenue neutral revised mill rate.

So if the rate was 30, and housing went up 15%, it would now be 30/1.15 to become the same revenue stream as before.

I’m not aware of any town doing this. If they tried it would show up as a major increase in the towns budget and no one would tolerate that. Jay

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Reilly1017

I absolutely hate the way CT towns tax cars as property, every year, and the same car can be so wildly different based on where you live. A $30,000 car should not be taxed 4x more in Hartford as it is in Westport. House values are different because of town, of course. But a 2021 Honda CRV should not be taxed so wildly different. It’s one of the more unfair things and clearly hurts people in poor cities.

The total amount paid on a car you buy brand new in the first 5 years that goes to sales tax and 5 years of property tax is really absurd in a state where, for the most part, public transportation isn’t amazing unless commuting via rail.

You are not alone. I’m guessing when Lamont talks about property tax relief, it will be the vehicle tax that is changed. It’s by far the least liked tax in the state. Jay

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I’m not aware of any town doing this. If they tried it would show up as a major increase in the towns budget and no one would tolerate that. Jay

Other states do it, to prevent tax hikes. It forces towns to make do with present tax streams, unless they go through a full tax hike process, multiple hearings involved. Simple put, it does not let assessed values rise without mill rates falling concurrently, without proving a need for more revenue.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

Other states do it, to prevent tax hikes. It forces towns to make do with present tax streams, unless they go through a full tax hike process, multiple hearings involved. Simple put, it does not let values rise without mill rates falling concurrently, without proving a need for more revenue.

Except it for doesn’t really work. Massachusetts’s Proposition 2 1/2 was supposed to do that yet since enacted in 1980, thousands of exemptions have been issued. As I have shown on this forum a number of times, taxes on comparable homes in comparable towns are not that much lower in Massachusetts than Connecticut. They aren’t that much lower in many other states either. Of course there are lower taxes in other states but those tend to be in towns or locations that aren’t comparable. Jay

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Except it for doesn’t really work. Massachusetts’s Proposition 2 1/2 was supposed to do that yet since enacted in 1980, thousands of exemptions have been issued. As I have shown on this forum a number of times, taxes on comparable homes in comparable towns are not that much lower in Massachusetts than Connecticut. They aren’t that much lower in many other states either. Of course there are lower taxes in other states but those tend to be in towns or locations that aren’t comparable. Jay

It worked well in Tn towns. By mandating the calculation. Simply put if assessments rose 15%, mill rate was automatically reset by dividing old one by 1.15. The state law contained no wiggle room.

I do agree like Ct, Massachusetts taxes homes far too much.

Lamont needs to reduce Ct taxation. That will help our economy.

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

I do agree like Ct, Massachusetts taxes homes far too much.

Lamont needs to reduce Ct taxation. That will help our economy.

????????

The state of CT does NOT tax houses.

Each individual town/city taxes the houses in those town/cities. If 51% residents in a particular town/city want excellent schools THEY VOTE to raise taxes, not the state of CT.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by CTartist

????????

The state of CT does NOT tax houses.

Each individual town/city taxes the houses in those town/cities. If 51% residents in a particular town/city want excellent schools THEY VOTE to raise taxes, not the state of CT.

This is what people that advocate statewide mandates on taxes seem to forget. That why Massachusetts has overridden Proposition 2 1/2 so many times. A town wants to build a new school, they have to get an exemption from 2 1/2. They want to buy a large parcel of land for open space, need an exemption. Want to renovate a public building? Need another exemption. It’s really ridiculous.

What overrides the need for all of this? LOCAL RULE. Let the towns govern themselves and keep state mandates to the absolute minimum. That will keep taxes down and encourage community involvement and pride. Jay