Beacon Falls grand list up 2.15 percent 

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BEACON FALLS — Driven by new construction, the town’s grand list increased a little more than 2 percent.

The town’s net grand list for Oct. 1, 2015 is $489.5 million, an increase of $10.3 million, or about 2.15 percent, from 2014. A municipality’s grand list is a tabulation of the assessed values of real estate, personal property and motor vehicles.

The largest increase came in real estate, which went up $6.3 million, or 1.52 percent, to $422.9 million.

According to Assessor June Chadderton, new constructions and the creation of two new subdivisions led to the rise in the real estate assessment.

The assessed value for personal property is $23.5 million, a $2.88 million, or 13.96 percent, increase.

The driving factor behind this increase is United Rentals, an equipment rental facility which opened a branch in Beacon Falls in 2013, added a lot more equipment to its business, Chadderton said.

The assessment for motor vehicles went up $1.08 million, or 2.57 percent, to approximately $43 million due to new car purchases, Chadderton said.

Problems with the state Department of Motor Vehicles’ new computer system have caused inaccuracies as to where cars are registered, which has led to issues calculating motor vehicle assessments in towns across the state.

Chadderton said the DMV’s problems didn’t significantly impact Beacon Falls.

The 2.15 percent increase in the grand list is the largest the town has seen in a few years. The 2011 grand list dropped more than 12 percent following a revaluation. It has risen an average of 0.55 percent a year since then.

Using the current mill rate of 33.4, the increase in the grand list equals about $344,412 in new tax revenue.

“Obviously we are encouraged by that increase,” First Selectman Christopher Bielik said. “It gives us greater flexibility heading into the budget.”

Bielik said the increase will help the town keep spending down in the 2016-17 municipal budget.

“If we are smart and cautious about it, we are going to drive to at least a flat budget this coming year,” Bielik said.

Top 10 taxpayers

Two North Main LLC, $11,133,280

Connecticut Light & Power Co., $9,493,680

Murtha Enterprises Inc., $3,437,280

AM Alexandria LLC, $3,315,870

United Rentals North America Inc., $2,744,160

Murtha Industrial Four LLC, $2,524,210

Aquarion Water Co. of Connecticut, $2,487,940

SMSP-Connecticut LLC, $2,346,400

CRC Development LLC, $2,057,590

Seymour Beacon Falls LLC, $1,985,520

The figures represent the combined assessment for the taxpayers. List provided by the Beacon Falls Assessor’s Office.