Bobby Valentine Issues Statement On Property Tax Assessments

STAMFORD, CT — According to the CT Post, Bobby Valentine, the unaffiliated candidate for mayor of Stamford, has been involved in a legal battle since 2020 with the city over property taxes on his North Stamford home. On Friday morning, Valentine's campaign issued a response in a news release.

The CT Post reported Friday morning that Valentine's Wynnewood Lane home, which was built in 1995 and sits at 5,794 square feet, was appraised by the city at $1,479,230. It was assessed at 1,035,460. Valentine's tax bill for 2019 was about $26,000.

Valentine appealed the assessment to the Stamford Board of Assessment Appeals. When it was rejected, he decided to pursue the matter in Superior Court.

The CT Post said that according to the lawsuit filed against the city in June of 2020, which can be viewed on the Connecticut Judicial Branch website, Valentine stated the valuation "exceeded the percentage of its true and actual value on the assessment date and the valuation was grossly excessive, disproportionate and unlawful."

Valentine could stand to win "a few thousand dollars", the CT Post reported. The amount would be applied to future tax bills. According to records on the city website, Valentine is up to date on his property taxes.

(Read more from the CT Post on this story)

Valentine tweeted a response on Friday morning, and his campaign issued an expanded news release.

Like all Stamford homeowners, I have been concerned about rising property taxes, especially when home values were declining. As mayor, I pledge to bring accountability to tax assessments, and make it easier for residents who wish to appeal, as I chose to do in 2020.

Please read: pic.twitter.com/0ZT1ZTpjUz
— Bobby Valentine (@BobbyValentine) October 22, 2021

Valentine's campaign said in the larger news release that Valentine "exercised his right to appeal the assessment in 2020."

Along with making it easier for residents who want to appeal, Valentine said he will make it a priority "to resolve the lack of financial support from Hartford."

"Despite the best efforts of our State Representatives and Senators, Stamford receives significantly less than other cities with similar demographics, unjustly impacting our property owners," the campaign said in the news release. "The State of Connecticut awarded approximately $15 million in Education Cost Sharing grants to Stamford in the most recent year, almost the same it provided to the town of Killingly. Yet, Stamford has as many students as Killingly has residents. The system is broken, and the politicians are making it worse."

The campaign went on to say that State Rep. Caroline Simmons, the Democratic candidate for mayor of Stamford, stopped paying her motor vehicle taxes to Stamford in 2019, according to city records.

"She continues to pay property tax on both homes that her family owns on Lakeview Drive," the campaign said.

According to documents provided to Patch from the Simmons campaign, Simmons' Volvo is up to date with Department of Motor Vehicle tax and registration. The car is leased, and she’s paying tax to the leasing company instead of directly to Stamford, the CT Post reported.

Also according to the documents, Simmons paid a tax on July 1, 2020 on a Subaru that she previously sold. Simmons' husband, Art Linares, has a car that's registered in Stamford, and he paid the registration fee but is awaiting a tax bill, the campaign noted.

Linares also is involved in real estate, and recently flipped a home next to his, which is being rented to a family, Simmons' campaign said.