State Senator Martin M. Looney
May 7, 2009
Senate Passes Bill That Will Allow Municipalities to Delay Revaluation
Senator Martin Looney (D-New Haven) says bill could help home owners in Hamden & New Haven
Hartford: Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney (D-New Haven) has helped to lead passage of Senate Bill 997, An Act Concerning a Municipal Option to Delay Revaluations. The bill would allow a municipality that is currently required by statute to conduct revaluation to delay that process until at least the beginning of the 2011 assessment year. Under current law, towns and cities are on a mandatory, five-year revaluation cycle.
“This bill will allow a city like New Haven the option of delaying revaluation and as a result, offer some relief to homeowners who are already feeling the effects of the recession,” said Senator Looney. “Residents and officials in New Haven asked for this change and I am happy that I could help deliver.”
The bill also allows any two or more towns to enter into an agreement to establish a regional revaluation program. The language includes the following details:
“Towns participating in such an agreement shall provide for the revaluation of all parcels of real property encompassed within such towns at the same time and not less than once every five years, or shall annually revalue approximately one-fifth of all such parcels over a five-year period.”
The Connecticut Conference on Municipalities supports the underlying bill and testified in favor of it as a recent public hearing:
Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, Gian-Carl Casa: Allowing municipalities the option to delay revaluations is a reasonable means to (a) provide savings from the cost of conducting the unfunded revaluation mandate, and (b) provides a measure of relief to hard-pressed local property taxpayers by delaying or phasing-in the revaluation. It does not make sense, in a period of volatile housing values, to have the revaluation mandate continue on autopilot. Municipalities should have the option to exercise the delay based on the affects it will have on the people who live and work there.
Senate Bill 997 now goes to the House for consideration.
|
Senator Looney’s |
Listing of Senator Looney’s recent press releases and a Press Kit with official head shots and bio. |
Press Aide Derek Slap |
