Opinion: An Open Letter to Montville re Foreclosure

Dear People:

I watched the Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) Senate session yesterday as that body approved the labor agreement. In theory, that action reduced the deficit to $3.5 billion and the as yet to be written democrat budget will have to cover that amount.

I am not an accountant nor am I an economist and therefore have no idea how the democrats plan to come up with the $3.5 billion but based on experience, I expect tax and fee increases and a shifting of financial burden to the towns and some cities. While I do not know how much financial load will be shifted to Montville, I did some calculations based on the data provided in the tax bills I paid this year. Since it is unknown whether or not a percentage of the teacher pension contributions will fall on the town, I left that amount out of my calculations.

My tax bill said that because the town expected to receive an estimated amount of money from the state, the mill rate was set at 31.7 as opposed to 44.98 should that funding not be received. Since my town taxes increased by 6.5 percent this year, I ran two computations based on the 44.98 mill rate.

Assuming a scenario where the 6.5 percent increase is absorbed when the town’s budget is adjusted, I could expect a supplemental tax bill of approximately $2,158.25. Should the increase not be taken up, the supplemental bill would be $2,526.65. Note that these numbers would increase should a percentage of the teacher pension contribution fall on the town.

I am a 72 year old retired veteran who, until this year, was comfortable living on his fixed income. I set aside $483.33 each month to cover my property taxes, my calculations indicate that amount would have to be $713.16 to cover my property taxes at the 44.98 mill rate; a 47.6 percent increase. My pension payment has gone up $34.37 per month in the last four years and Social Security allowance increased $31.60 in the same period, an average of $16.49 per year.

Looking at my personal budget and reviewing my limited assets while considering the fluidity of the situation, I cannot predict how long it will be until the town takes my home via tax lien but it will happen.