Field Agents Are Coming, Without Appointments—

Vets, Families Get First Public Info Session

On Upcoming Revaluation

By John Voket

Those who have served in the military are getting the first opportunity to host a public outreach program sponsored by the Newtown Assessor’s Office discussing the upcoming townwide revaluation process. Assessor Thomas DeNoto and Deputy Assessor Penny Talarino were scheduled to speak with veterans and their families, as well as interested members of the general public, on Thursday, June 22, at VFW Post 308.

Mr DeNoto said this is the first public outreach session his office is making available to any interested group in town in the coming months as the latest revaluation process ramps up in earnest by early August with contract field agents fanning out across the community taking pictures of properties and knocking on doors soliciting inspections.

The assessor’s office wants to be sure everyone in the community is aware, and as comfortable with the state mandated project as possible. Mr DeNoto said he is respectfully requesting the utmost in community cooperation so the information gathering can be done as smoothly and accurately as possible.

He and Ms Talarino have already “test driven” the outreach information before town department heads, and Mr DeNoto wants to assure residents that both his office and the police department will be fully apprised of the whereabouts and methods of contract field representatives.

At ant given time during the field surveying process, where Mr DeNoto said representatives will be required to survey both the exterior and interior of every improved building in Newtown, along with outbuildings, residents are welcome to contact his office or the police dispatcher to confirm the identity of field reps who will come knocking without appointments.

“It’s a one in ten years inconvenience, but it’s not our rules,” Mr DeNoto admitted. “If Newtown did not comply with the state mandate to process revaluation every five years, and a complete inventory of properties every ten, we could be penalized by losing state grant money which I believe is primarily directed to our schools.”

Field reps will be appropriately dressed in business casual attire and will be armed with digital cameras, wireless tablet computer terminals, and measuring equipment. They will all be required to carry identification cards with photographs indicating they work for Waterbury-based Total Valuation Services, and their vehicles will have identifying markings as well.

“Residents can rest assured that every field rep has passed a thorough police background check, and we encourage anyone with concerns about a stranger on their property, or knocking at their door, to contact our office during weekday business hours, or the police dispatch center after hours or on weekends,” Mr DeNoto said. “Reps will be working in certain sectors of town during specific times of the field inspection process, so it will be easy to immediately identify if someone is legitimately working on the reval.”

Mr DeNoto said he is hoping word of mouth and publicity resulting from Thursday’s info session will prompt both public organizations like the library and senior center, as well as private service groups, churches, the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations, to invite his office in for a brief talk and “some Q and A” on the revaluation.

“It’s really a misunderstood practice, which is really quite important to taxpayers because it can actually save them money,” the assessor said. “The info sessions will be supplemented with a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ flyer we’ll send to every property and vehicle owner in the June property tax bills. We will also be issuing the flyer to all the local members of the Board of Realtors so the information can be presented to new homeowners in the coming months.”

Mr DeNoto believes the greatest misconception about the reval process is that it creates higher taxes, when in fact the process simply creates or updates data — a new mass appraisal of all real property in town.

“Things can happen at the federal or state level that trickle down to impact local mill rates and taxes, but the revaluation process does not trigger tax increases,” Mr DeNoto said. In fact, a reval can often result in lower property taxes, especially on automobiles.

He referenced the difference between the 2001 and 2002 tax rates where the revaluation process dropped the Newtown mil rate from 33.8 to 23.4.

“In practical terms, that means someone who owned a vehicle appraised at $10,000 paid $338 in taxes in 2001, and that same vehicle was taxed at only $234 in 2002, even if there was little or no depreciation on that vehicle because of use,” he said.

And in areas like Newtown where there are significant increases in commercial developments coupled with increases in rents for commercial space, the reval can actually translate into a subtle shift in the tax burden, taking some pressure off residential property owners.

The assessor said that even in neighborhoods where virtually all the homes are the same size and value, something as insignificant as a 12-by-12-foot deck versus a 20-by-20-foot deck can trigger a slight difference in the assessment.

Anyone interested in hosting a talk by the assessor’s office on the upcoming revaluation is welcome to contact Mr DeNoto at 270-4240.