Do The Math!

To the Editor:

We are taxed in Newtown by a mill rate. This is the number of dollars per 1,000 dollars of value we have in our homes and property. If my house was worth $10,000 and the mill rate was 10.3, I would take the total number of thousands of dollars (in this case 10 because my property is valued at $10,000) and multiply it times 10.3 to get the tax I will pay for the goods and services Newtown provides. In this case, 10 times 10.3 = $103. In order to have a fair tax on its citizens, Newtown taxes property owners on the value of their properties. Newtown just revalued all properties, so my house that was valued at $103,300 became valued at $213,600.

Last year, with a value of $103,300, my property was taxed at a mill rate of about 33.1. Remember, this is 33.1 dollars for every 1,000 dollars of value as estimated by the town. I take the number of thousands of dollars (103) and multiply that times about 33.1 to get the amount in dollars I will pay: $3,388. $3,388 seems like a significant amount of money, but we have good schools, a beautiful town, and we are fortunate to live in such a fine New England community.

This year my property has been revalued at $213,600. If the budget passes with a 10 percent increase, the new mill rate will be approximately 24.4, or 24.4 dollars for every 1,000 dollars of value. I would multiply the number of thousands of dollars of value (214) and multiply it times 24.4. That works out to $5,221. That seems a bit high for 10 percent more spending.

If the budget passed, and I was asked to pay an additional 10 percent, then by the numbers, I would take last years taxes and multiply that amount by 10 percent and add the two together. ($3,388 x 10 percent = $339. $339 + $3,388 = $3,727.) If that would be my taxes to cover the budget if we hadn’t been revalued, how come my tax is so high with revaluation? Exactly how much am I being asked to pay?

What would a 25 percent increase be? Twenty-five percent of $3,388 would be $847. $847 + $3388 = $4,235. Not close. What would a 50 percent increase be? Fifty percent of $3,388 is $1,694. $1,694 + $3,388 = $5,082. $5,221 represents a 54 percent tax increase!   

Check your math. Your taxes don’t seem to have any relationship to the budget. How can I have a tax increase of 54 percent when the goods and services I am asked to pay for this year are only, and I mean only, 10 percent above last year? Who is doing the math at town hall? Who is telling us we will have an adjusted mill rate to reflect the difference in our valuation? If my revaluation is about double what it was a year ago, my mill rate should be about half of what it was to keep the status quo –– 24.4 isn’t close to half of 33.1. This is a travesty in mathematics.

Jim Roodhuyzen

60 Schoolhouse Hill Road                                           March 17, 2003