Residents Rush Toy Meet The Tax Deadline

By Steve Bigham

The line of people waiting to pay their taxes stretched out the tax collector’s door and down the hallway at Edmond Town Hall Monday afternoon as Newtown residents rushed to beat the August 1 deadline.

Tuesday, the final day to pay your taxes without an interest charge, was steady, but far less busy than the day before.

“A lot of people don’t think they have that extra day,” noted Donna Saputo of the tax collector’s office.

Those paying on Wednesday were assessed a three percent interest charge. For the most part, however, taxes were paid on time this year, according to Tax Collector Carol Mahoney.

“It appears to be going very well and hopefully the revenues will be as good as they were last year,” Mrs Mahoney said Wednesday.

Last year, 98.3 percent of all local taxes were collected, continuing a trend of strong collection rates by the town.

In April, taxpayers approved a $66.9 million budget for the 2000-2001 fiscal year. Of that, nearly $50.1 million (or 74.3 percent) will be paid for through local taxes. The remaining 25.7 percent is funded through state aid, other local revenue, and surplus.

The tax burden continues to fall more and more on the shoulders of the homeowner. Last year, local property taxes were responsible for only 72.6 percent and, in years past, that figure was much lower. The decreasing state aid has drawn the ire of First Selectman Herb Rosenthal in recent years.

“It is a concern and we have tried to express it to the state legislature,” Mr Rosenthal said. “The biggest area is in education. The state continues to shirk its responsibility there.”

The first selectman said the state constitution says that all citizens deserve a quality education. “Yet the state has never properly funded education.”

Ten years ago, Newtown received 25 percent of its total education costs from the state. Today, that figure has been reduced to 10 percent.

According to Tax Assessor Denise Hames, 86 percent of local property taxes are from real estate, nine percent from personal property, and five percent from motor vehicles. The tax assessor’s office also reports that the highest homeowner’s tax bill to go out this year was for $21,288. That went to the owner of a home assessed at $721,630. Under today’s market value, that house would sell for more than $1.5 million.

The lowest tax bill to go out for an occupied dwelling was about $1,000.

The highest tax bill to go out for a car was $2,222, which was sent out to the owner of a Ferrari assessed at $75,330. The least expensive tax bill for a car was $2.95. There was no indication in town records as to whether the car actually runs.