2007 - HAPPY(?) NEW YEAR

Well, 2007 is here and what do we look forward to in the new year here in Meriden. Revaluation was completed in 2006 and how many people got shafted? Some properties going up 119%? Did revaluation come at the wrong time? I keep an eye on the real estate market since I purchased my house 2 years ago and I can see the prices starting to come down. What upset me was I had my house revaluated last year because it was built in 2004. Any house built new in between June 2004 and December 2005 was revalued. So my taxes went up then and now I just got whacked again. And the kicker, I live in an association. I pay 100% of my taxes but get less than 100% of the services. I questioned that to Mike Modarski asking why there wasn’t a separate mill rate. He responded that that would be too much to track. Come on. We have inner and outer city rates. Don’t we have computers today that are supposed to make it easier for things like that?

With revaluation behind us we are all on pins and needles to see what the new mill rate will be. It has been discussed that it will fall to 28 to 30 mills, depending on what the city receives in support from the state. And our friends at the DPUC rubberstamping the 8% increase for the first 6 months next year and then will reapply for a 2nd increase. ARE THEY NUTS???

With these increases, will it help reduce the lowering of the mill rate? You bet it will! What contributes to that? Here’s an example: After last year’s rate increase by CL&P, that was going to cost the city an extra $750K. Now we have Falcon Field renovation that the city needs to kick in over $1M. Is Falcon Field that necessary RIGHT NOW when money is that tight? Am I missing something?

Meriden Taxpayers: We need to hold our city leaders accountable to hold the line on spending and make sure that mill rate is not above 30 as we have been told. If they can’t do that, mark your calendars in November 2008 to get people in their that can run the city!