By Abbe Smith, Register Staff
asmith@newhavenregister.com

NEW HAVEN — Residents and small business owners upset about their tax assessments will have another chance to voice their concerns at tonight’s meeting of the aldermanic Tax Abatement Committee.

Alderman Michael Smart, committee chairman, called the meeting to continue the public hearing regarding frustrations with assessments and the city assessor’s office.

The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall.

The context for the public hearing is growing discontent with city Assessor William O’Brien that culminated recently with calls for his resignation.

Smart and 11 other aldermen submitted a signed letter to Mayor John DeStefano Jr.’s office demanding O’Brien’s removal from office.

“Anything short of his resignation is unacceptable,” Smart said last week.

City spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga confirmed O’Brien will attend the meeting.

DeStefano has not asked O’Brien to step down. O’Brien has come under fire in recent months for what some view as excessive assessment increases and a hostile attitude toward taxpayers.

Smart said he met with DeStefano regarding the matter and the two agreed to work on reforming the office, but they “agreed to disagree” on O’Brien.

“He wants to stand by his tax man, O’Brien, and I am going to stand by the taxpayers,” Smart said. Continued...

• 1
• 2
• See Full Story

DeStefano confirmed that he plans to look into the matter, but reiterated that some of the charges being made against O’Brien stem from matters that are out of the assessor’s control, such as the value of cars and issues with the senior tax freeze.

“The city remains committed to improving customer service in the office of the assessor. I am committed to the assessor’s office providing fair and effective service to the city’s taxpayers,” DeStefano said.

Numerous residents, business owners, churches and nonprofits have complained to aldermen and to the city about problems with assessments or the assessor’s office. And many of them plan on attending tonight’s meeting, including those supporting the New Haven People’s Center, a nonprofit organization on Howe Street. Despite being a tax-exempt nonprofit, the People’s Center received a tax bill for $3,000 this year, a sizable bill for an organization with a $20,000 annual budget.

“If you tax us, we can’t even keep the building open,” said Alfred Marder, president of the People’s Center.

The organization provides meeting space to labor, peace and social justice organizations. Marder said the center recently agreed to allow two nonprofits to use the building in return for contributions toward heating and electricity.

He said the city sent the People’s Center a tax bill this year, claiming they are being paid rent and should be taxed. The People’s Center appealed the decision and lost. Now they are urging supporters to go to the tax committee to lobby for a reversal of the decision.

Smart says he expects the meeting to be crowded based on the number of complaints he and other aldermen have received. Invited to the meeting are O’Brien, Tax Collector Maurine Villani and Board of Assessment Appeals members Jacqueline Harris and Michael Newton.

Contact Abbe Smith at 203-789-5615.

• 1
• 2
• See Full Story

• 1
• 2
• 3
• See Full Story

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• See Full Story

• Return to Paging Mode