Full Text:

Final Figures Show Still More Growth In Grand List

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Newtown's grand list continues to rise as the town's building boom continues.

How much longer will it last? No one knows for sure. It all depends on the

market, noted Tax Assessor Denise Hames earlier this week.

The list of taxable property in Newtown was finally released by the tax

assessor's office Monday, showing an increase of $76.56 million or 4.89

percent. The total grand list is $1,643,213,670.

"That's an exceptional increase when you consider the grand list is so high,"

Mrs Hames said.

Using last year's tax rate, the net increase in collectible taxes for this

coming year is just over $2 million. That figure includes houses, real estate

and motor vehicles. The grand list measures the value of all taxable property.

Mrs Hames said the five percent increase in the grand list was due to all the

construction in town and the addition of a part-time field inspector gave her

office the ability to keep up with partial construction.

The high grand list increase for this year should make life a little bit

easier for the Legislative Council, especially when it comes to financing the

Board of Education's budget proposal, which is up $3.8 million or 12 percent

over the current budget.

Back in July of 1988, Newtown's total amount of collectible taxes was $23.8

million. Ten years later, that number has jumped to $42.1 million, an increase

of 77 percent. During that span of time, the town went through revaluation

(1995).

While the growth in the town helps to increase the grand list, it also raises

the need for increased town services.

The top 10 list of taxpayers (see separate box) remained the same, except for

Homesteads, the 289-unit elderly housing complex in Hawleyville, which made

its first appearance at number five.