To the Editor:

Are you mad at your inflated property revaluation? Do you feel that the town is deliberately inflating property values in order to save tax dollars? Join the crowd.

It is no wonder that there has been a flood of property valuation appeals as well as chaos on the Board of Assessment Appeals with people leaving. When you do some research and discover that some homes purchased within one year of the revaluation date are being appraised at over one hundred thousand dollars over the purchase price, you will realize that this whole process is rotten. To expect a fair hearing from a dysfunctional board and now with unelected people appointed by the Board of Selectmen is a fantasy. Isn't this taxation without representation?

Town officials have already announced that the grand list of taxable property will be relatively unchanged due to revaluation. You will hear this garbage that those property owners with valuation increases will be offset by those with valuation decreases. Wasn't there a townwide decrease in property values due to the town's crushing tax burden and crumbling infrastructure? Apparently, this can't happen because the town's already high mill rate would have to be raised sky high to pay for the town budget.

It is an injustice to taxpayers that the town is forcing property owners to go to court to receive a fair hearing on their property valuation. My only hope is that a judge will throw out the entire results of this tainted process.

Brian Schlier

12 Old Purdy Station Road, Newtown         April 3, 2018