Budget set, car tax bills going out

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NAUGATUCK — Local car owners who have not yet received their car tax bills should not think the tax man has forgotten about them.

Even though they are a little behind, borough officials still plan to collect motor vehicle tax bills this year.

Due to an unusual budget petition and referendum process in Naugatuck, which requires residents to petition and force referendums on budget proposals set by officials, the borough’s municipal budget was not set until Sept. 22. The Tax Collector’s office could not send out car tax bills until the budget and tax rate was set. Most car tax bills are sent out in the spring and due on July 1; Naugatuck’s tax bills will go out this year on Oct. 15.

Tax Collector James Goggin said car tax bills are now split into two payments if they are more than $300. The first half are due on Nov. 1, and the second half are due on Jan. 1.

Officials have set the tax rate at 45.56 mills for the current fiscal year. That is up 1.3 mills, or 2.93 percent, over last year.

Motor vehicle assessments are based upon 70 percent of the average retail value. So someone who owns a car valued at $10,000 would be taxed on the car’s assessed value of $7,000 and would pay $318 in car taxes based upon the current tax rate.

Goggin said some people questioned why Naugatuck did not send out car tax bills and make adjustments when the budget was finalized.

He said there are about 30,000 motor vehicles in Naugatuck, each of which needs a bill. Between printing costs and stamps, it would have cost the borough about $18,000 to mail adjusted bills to all car owners.

“It would not have been cost effective to do that,” he said.