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1000+ say no to their tax bill in New Haven

http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Neena/ns%20120228%20propertyreval.mp3

Residents in some areas of New Haven are protesting sharp increases in their property tax bills this year. WNPR’s Neena Satija reports on a proposal the mayor has announced offering some relief.

More than one thousand residents in New Haven filed appeals on their real estate tax bill on Monday. That’s about a third less than the number who appealed the last time property revaluations happened five years ago. But it’s still more than Jeffrey Granoff expected given that many residents actually saw their property values go down. Granoff chairs the city’s Board of Assessment appeals. He said the number of appeals may reflect the state of the economy, rather than the revaluations themselves.

GRANOFF: “You never know how people feel because of the economy and money in general, especially when it comes to taxes. Not many people like to pay taxes.”

But while more than half of properties in the city decreased in value, others suddenly doubled. That’s partly because when values went up in 2006, an uproar over skyrocketing tax bills prompted the city to phase in the increases over five years. But the city abandoned the phase-in when the economic crisis hit. Some residents are now facing the consequences of that delay. The hardest-hit neighborhood is East Rock, which Justin Elicker represents on the city’s Board of Alderman.

ELICKER: “You know, some people would say your house value is your house value and you should be paying taxes based on that house value. But in reality, many people’s wealth is not correlated closely with their house value.”

Residents started a petition suggesting the city phase in tax increases like it was supposed to five years ago. Another petition said taxes should be lowered for owners that actually live on their property, called owner-occupiers. Mayor John DeStefano has proposed a kind of hybrid plan: Phase in tax increases only for owner-occupiers. Elicker said he thinks it’s a good idea.

ELICKER: “So if my property is worth a hundred thousand dollars and the new assessment says it’s worth $200,000, instead of me paying taxes next year based on $200,000 worth of property, I would be paying taxes based on $120,000.”

That amount would continue to increase over five years. Anyone who saw their property values decrease, on the other hand, can realize their tax benefit right away. The proposal needs approval from the state legislature. In the meantime, the Board of Assessment Appeals will hear from over a thousand people in March who are hoping for a lower tax bill.

For WNPR, I’m Neena Satija.

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