NAUGATUCK — Although Naugatuck’s 2013-14 budget is heading to a referendum, the tax collector’s office has sent out bills.
Tax Collector Jim Goggin said bills are currently going out for the first half of real estate taxes only.
Due to a budget referendum scheduled for July 9, the mill rate for 2013-14 has not been officially set yet and the bills are using the current mill rate of 33.65 mills. Goggin explained the bills state the second half of real estate taxes due is $0, since the budget hasn’t been finalized.
But this doesn’t mean there won’t be a second payment due.
Goggin said his office has been inundated with calls from residents questioning whether they have to pay the second half of their real estate tax bills.
He explained that once the budget is finalized tax bills will be issued again for the remainder of the taxes on real estate adjusted for the new mill rate. Motor vehicle and personal property tax bills will also be issued once the budget is officially set.
The borough has adopted a $110.9 million budget, which is an increase of $3.3 million, or 3.08 percent over the current year’s budget. The school budget is $59.4 million of the overall budget, an increase of $1.39 million or 2.4 percent over the current budget.
The mill rate was set at 44.8 mills, which is an increase of 11.25 mills over the current mill rate of 33.65. This means a tax rate of $44.80 for every $1,000 of assessed value.
The significant increase in the mill rate was due to revaluation, which resulted in lower property vales. The increase would have been .93 mills had the revaluation not occurred, according to officials.
Following adoption of the budget, the spending plan was forced to a referendum by petitions submitted by Taxpayers in Revolt Chairman Alec Wargo in late May. The petitions were verified and the referendum set last week.
