Property Tax Relief Not Increase

To the Editor:

For the past two months we have heard repeatedly from Barack Obama that “We are in the worst economic times since the Great Depression.” And, “Wages have not risen for the past ten years!”

Well guess what. Your property taxes have, averaging better than five percent per year. At this rate, they will double in 14 years. So if your property taxes are $10,000 this year, five percent compounded annually means it will be over $15,000 in nine years and nearly $21,000 in 15 years.

Home prices in Newtown are off 30 percent comparing August 2007 to August 2008 (probably more by now). The stock market is off about 33 percent (depending on what day you look at it). This is the year we should expect our town officials to hold the line on expenses and give us a break. As they begin to work on next year’s budgets we need to tell them we expect property tax relief, not increase. Call our selectmen and Board of Education members and tell them you need relief not increase as they plan for next year. Now is the time to get the message to them. Tax relief, not increase!

Warren Hoppmeyer

23 Cobblers Mill Road, Sandy Hook                      December 3, 2008