Mid-September 2023-First Selectwoman’s Update
Real Property Revaluation. In accordance with state statutes, real property tax assessments are being revalued as of October 1, 2023. The new assessments, which reflect 70% of market value, will be used for the July 1, 2024 (FY2025) tax bills.
Overall, residential real estate assessments are expected to increase and commercial property assessments are expected to decrease, led by declining commercial office values. This is expected to result in a shifting of real estate taxes previously paid by commercial property owners to single-family and multi-family property owners, motor vehicle owners and businesses that pay personal property taxes. Although the mill rate is expected to decrease with the revaluation, residential property owners should not expect a decrease in their property taxes. The revaluation is revenue neutral meaning it doesn’t increase property tax revenue.
The FY2025 mill rate before revaluation is expected to increase (see below). How much your property taxes increase versus that mill rate increase is dependent on how much your assessment changes versus the entire grand list. For example, if the entire grand list increases by 12% and your home’s assessment increases by 15%, you will pay a higher rate of increase than you would if the revaluation had not occurred. On the other hand if the entire grand list increases by 12% and your home’s assessment increases by less than 12%, you will pay a smaller increase than if the revaluation had not occurred.
The Town is again using Vision Government Solutions (VGS) to assist with valuations. The town’s last revaluation valued properties as of October 1, 2017.
The timeline for new residential valuations is as follows:
- Assessment Notices. Scheduled for mailing by VGS by 12/15/2023.
- Informal Hearings: Scheduled to be held between December 26th and January 12th. Hearings will be in person and remote. An informal hearing is a meeting with representatives from VGS who will explain the basis for your new assessment. It is also your opportunity to provide comments or support for a possible adjustment before the final assessments are submitted by VGS to the Assessor.
- Board of Assessment Appeals (BAA) Hearings: The Assessor is required to sign and file the grand list by the end of January unless an extension is requested until the end of February. Extensions are typical for a revaluation year. Assuming an extension, applications for a BAA hearing would be required to be submitted from March 1st to March 20th. The hearings would be held in April. If an extension isn't requested, each would move back a month.
Members of the Board of Assessment Appeals are elected by the voters. If required based on the volume of expected appeals, the Board of Selectmen may appoint temporary members to the Board. Historically this has occurred for revaluation years.
Please mark your calendar so you can plan accordingly. Wondering about comparable sales to your home? A searchable database of residential real estate sales is available on the VGS website via a link on the town website.
As the above dates approach, further information will be shared via e-alerts, press releases, mailings and the Assessor’s webpage. If you are not receiving updates from the town, this is the link to register.
Wilton Restaurants Need Your Business. As previously shared, Wilton restaurant owners continue to tell me their business is still down versus what they were doing prior to COVID. And it isn’t just the case in Wilton. Restaurants are struggling.
Last night we arrived at a Wilton restaurant just after the time they were scheduled to close (our bad for having the wrong time), but they stayed open and accommodated us and a few others that arrived around the same time. No complaints from the staff, as they were grateful to have the patrons after a slow weekend. As usual, our food was delicious.
Next time you are thinking about going out for dinner or picking up take-out, please think of a Wilton restaurant. Next time someone posts, on Wilton 411 asking for a restaurant recommendation and you are inclined to post, please recommend your favorite in Wilton. Thanks in advance for your help.
Controlled Deer Hunt. The Town’s controlled deer hunt began on September 15th. Here are some details.
- What is a controlled deer hunt? It is a hunt with specific objectives and specific rules as to timing, locations, hunter qualifications and quantities of hunters and deer killed.
- Why hold a controlled deer hunt? The Town of Wilton sponsored the first controlled deer hunt in 2003 in response to a rising deer population. Wilton was not alone. As described in this document from CT Dept of Environmental and Energy Protection (DEEP), at the time significant increases in deer populations in Southwest Connecticut meant increasing deforestation, motor vehicle accidents and fatalities and risk of contracting Lyme disease.
- What is this season’s hunt plan? The hunt plan, including locations, is available on this link.
- Who oversees the hunt? Resident volunteers appointed to the Deer Management Committee by the Board of Selectmen advised by Environmental Affairs Director Mike Conklin.
- Where can I find more information about the hunt? Information, including FAQs, is available on the town website here.
- How do I provide input for next year’s hunt? The Deer Management Committee adopts a plan at their meeting in May and presents the plan to the Board of Selectmen at a meeting in June. Mark your calendar to look for the Deer Management Committee’s May 2024 agenda and the Board of Selectmen’s June agendas here.
Candidate Signs on Town Property. Each election season, we receive inquiries about candidate signs on town property. Since the Town doesn’t prohibit all signs on town-owned property, Town Counsel has advised we can’t prohibit candidate signs. In some election years, political town committees/candidates have collaborated and agreed not to place signs on town-owned property. We’ll see what happens this year.
CT Business Tax Credit Program-up to 100% tax credit. Do you own a business or are you in a leadership position within a business that files a Connecticut Business Tax Return (CT-1120)? Are you a business that donates to Wilton-based nonprofits? If so you may want to consider joining Santa Energy and other businesses by registering to receive a tax credit of 100% or 60% for a 2023 donation of $250 or more to meaningful, approved nonprofit projects in Wilton. The deadline to register is October 1st. More information including how to apply and the list of Wilton approved projects is available here. Please contact Wilton’s program coordinator Sarah Gioffre at sarah.gioffre@wiltonct.org with questions.
BOF FY2025 Budget Discussions. At Tuesday’s meeting, the Board of Finance began FY2025 budget discussions. Unlike the last couple of years, when the majority of the members were unwilling to provide the Boards of Selectmen and Education with budget guidance, this year the members signaled they would provide guidance and discuss such at their October meeting.
A preliminary estimated 5.5% increase in operating requirements and a 5.2% mill rate increase before revaluation were presented at the meeting. The lower rate of growth in the mill rate versus that of the growth in operating requirements is because of an estimated increase in the taxable grand list due to new construction, including 141 Danbury, ASML and single-family homes.
The preliminary rate is similar to where deliberations began last year, which ended with a 3% increase in operating requirements and a 3.6% mill rate increase.
Also at last week’s Board of Finance meeting, the Board decided to publish monthly updates. Look for their first update later this month.
Please email me at lynne.vanderslice@wiltonct.org with any questions. Please, no questions via Facebook.
Lynne A Vanderslice
First Selectwoman