48°
NORWALK, Conn. – A proposal by Gov. Dannel Malloy to eliminate municipal property taxes on vehicles valued at less than $28,500 could have a chilling effect on Norwalk, according to Mayor Richard Moccia.
The mayor has not said he opposes the plan, which would give municipalities the option of implementing it in July before it would take effect statewide in 2014, but he said he was skeptical until he learns more about it. Malloy announced the proposal Wednesday.
“We need to get more details,” Moccia said in an email to The Norwalk Daily Voice on Thursday. “Suffice it to say that it would hurt the city, as this was not planned for. Unless he plans on replacing the revenues.”
Eliminating the tax on vehicles worth less than $28,500 could mean a combined loss in revenue for municipalities of more than half a billion dollars statewide, according to estimates.
Moccia said he did not yet know the exact amount in lost revenue Norwalk could face, but officials are studying it closely. By contrast, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton estimates that his city collects about $10 million annually from vehicle taxes, according to published reports. Boughton’s estimate was for all vehicle taxes, not just for vehicles valued at less than $28,500.
“We cannot give you an estimate at this time, as we are reviewing our numbers for anticipated revenues,” said Moccia. The mayor has not yet announced his proposed spending plan for the city, but all efforts are being made to either have no tax increase or a minimal one.
"Plus, we would have to break out all cars that meet the criteria to see what the dollar loss would be,” Moccia added.
Comments (26)
Why is JIM T being allowed to destroy this site..Editor please look at each post from him as they are all attacking others on the site. He has destroyed topix and now here...
http://www.topix.net/member/profile/jim__t
http://www.topix.net/member/profile/ponytailsteve
No one wants to read your topix spam. Please stop posting it here.
Moderator? Oh Moderator? Why do you allow him to ruin this site with his topix SPAM and multiple usernames???
ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jim it looks more like its your spam..Why do you deny this are you not proud of your topix posts?
A few less police officers and fire employees making well into the six-figures - and retiring with a lavish, taxpayer-funded pension at 48 - and one or two less palatial fire and police headquarters would allow this (minor) tax cut for overburdened Norwalk taxpayers to occur.
Golden You are 100 percent correct
Uhm, I'm not sure what your definition of palatial is, but I don't think either the police station or the fire station qualify.
Unless I am mistaken, it was Mayor Knopp that built the police station down at Monroe Street, not Mayor Moccia. You can verify that by checking the dedication plaque in the entry way. The old station was loaded with asbestos since it was built in the late 50's, early 60's. I've heard that they are already bursting at the seams down there.
As for the fire station, when it was originally built, the contractor apparently cut corners and the floors in the garage started to buckle. The west facing garages could not be used for fire trucks, only small vehicles, like the Fire Chief's vehicle. And I heard that when Chris Shays was visiting one day, the drains backed up all over the floor. I think our guys deserve better than that.
Paige
You are mistaken as it was Moccia who built the police station. Why don't you ask him next time he tells you what to post for him.
Norwalk,
Next time you are down at the police station, walk into the lobby and look directly to your right. There is a large bronze plaque there on the wall that lists the Mayor, and all the Council Member, along with the Police Commissioners who dedicated the building. Moccia's name is not on it, Knopp's is.
Golden11
Excellent point Golden11..In the private sector as in the real world this insanity with the benefits, overtime, pay rate,and early retirement would never be allowed. Its time we stop letting the police union holding us hostage with these insane contracts that the idiot mayor seems to think are not an issue. Also let us not forget in the real word you are reviewed for pay increases on job performance and as we all know the NPD's job performance is atrocious.
Spot on, Rob. Police and fire budgets/pensions are beginning to bankrupt cities across the country. Don't get me wrong - these guys should be paid a good salary simply for the risk involved (note, however, that there are plenty of more dangerous jobs out there that pay a fraction). They should not, however, make an engineer's salary on the low-end and a surgeon's salary on the high-end.
Moccia is amazing.
He doesn't want to help the middle class as he has a NEW city car. Let us not forget the old one had 40000 miles on it.
I bet we could recoup this money by cutting the insane police overtime.Just think 65 plus per hour, wear and tear on a running city car, plus gas for the that 8 hour shift as the car is never turned off. How could it be when the officer is sitting in it reading the paper instead of directing traffic. At least in the summer the prima donnas from the NPD stare into the hole. A traffic agent would be 15 bucks per hour, no city car and no city gas. One other plus the traffic agent would actuality direct traffic instead of reading the paper. Shame that we don't have a mayor that is not terrified of not getting the police union endorsement. Which is a joke as most of the cops don't even live in Norwalk so they actually cant even vote for the mayor.
There we go again with the traffic police! You should learn to park your car like everyone else, and you would not have gotten your prius towed. What was it, 3 times?
Why did you fail to mention this part?
If you set the standards for police pay, crime would skyrocket. Norwalk is at least safe, lets not set up nasty scenarios like yours...
More attacks on posters from Jim
Well at least Jim is not making racist comments today. Yesterday he was mocking the editor for being black and the day before was saying horrid things about us Muslims.
I agrees with the Norwalk truth. why is the Daily allowing these types of postings from Jim????
No way he was? Show us this post please.
Amazing, and yet he can still post? What if he just switched user names?
I am so confused, are you even on topic right now?
I said on TOPIC not on TOPIX.. just to clarify timmy!!
Seems like Jim is high again
It seems the Mayor doesn't like others like Malloy hurting the city its his job and no one elses.
Fire dept was mentioned in his election bid again its safe to say the money slated withing the fire dept has done well by the firefighters we know have millions in equipment just sitting there rotting when simple tools and simple equipment to save lives and property is nowhere to be found.McCarthy is a real winner among others around the State his department is in trouble the city has lost a lot of coverage lately only a disaster by its own hand will show how bad the city is in need of leadership./Continued outreach to those making the money has shown no comments they are truly aware whats going on.
Its time to worry about the Mayor his whole agenda is plastic thinking he can entertain his votes thru Calvin and Bruce the two new members of the Republican party.
This next election may be worth getting there early for a good seat.
Why is the Mayor talking like this his cuts ne needs to make will lose votes just wait and see what the what happens next.
Maybe this time around the city will show who pays the bills after all,its certainly not the ones making the money off the taxpayers backs.
Moccia is the typical tax and spend Republican.What he says is actually irrelevant as he will be out of office on a few month..
Here we once again have the democrat cutting taxes for the middle class and the Republicans want no part it.
REMEMBER THIS AT ELECTION TIME FOLKS
WORST MAYOR NORWALK HAS EVER HAD.
The 2012-13 budget shows total revenue to Norwalk from vehicle taxes of about $15 million (Page 20). That's about 5% of the entire City budget.
If Gov. Malloy's proposal eliminates that revenue without replacing it, he'll be blowing a huge hole in Norwalk's budget. Since any attempts at reducing City spending are met with anguished cries from the constituencies who directly benefit from that spending, the only politically viable solution would be an increase in real estate taxes. Does anybody think Norwalk will benefit from eliminating the motor vehicle tax and increasing the real estate tax? Especially after the beating that housing prices have taken?
I support cutting taxes and spending wherever possible, but this seems like Gov. Malloy is simply buying votes by creating a budgetary mess that City governments will be left to clean up with unpopular tax hikes. If what Gov. Malloy proposes is eliminating a revenue stream on which cities depend, without replacing the revenue, then this is a despicable and cowardly move.
How would Gov. Malloy like it if Norwalk's Mayor and Common Council got together and proposed eliminating the income taxes which fund state government?
One thing I would like to see is getting rid of the Catch 22 that happens when residents are driving older (20+) vehicles and all of a sudden find themselves faced with an increase in car taxes because the vehicle is now considered an "antique". I know of two other people who had vehicles that basically were rust on wheels who had to get rid of them because all of a sudden, their vehicles became antiques.
No Paige wrong again
That is not correct as I am the owner of several classic cars and the tax is less than a 100 on each. Could it be that your friends are Republican lairs?
LOL you own classic cars huh? When is a 2004 Prius, "classic?
It won't hurt Norwalk, because they will just raise taxes again. My taxes were lowered because of the monstrosity that P&Z allowed to go up across the street from my home. Then they raised taxes so it was a complete wash. I would move in a minute, except P&Z has now made it IMPOSSIBLE for me to sell my house.
The Mayor & city NEED to get on board with finding ways to CUT EXPENDITURES. Without counting vehicle taxes its already more expensive here than most other states & very few charge property taxes on vehicles. We have been overspending for too long and it had to stop sooner or later. Its ironic that our Republican Mayor finds issue with out Democratic Governor reducing taxes. The glory days of the tax & spend liberal are, it would seem, coming to a close. Maybe with the passing of that fad we can get some fiscal sanity involved in governance again. On another note I wonder at lost tax revenue when we GIVE away valuable real estate? Are we getting the same taxes from the vacant lots on West Ave as we were when they were being used is another question? How much do we collect, or NOT collect, on the many city owned houseing projects around the city? I'm not a financial genius, but if we NEED to tax vehicles as if they are real estate then it wouldnt seem we have the money to GIVE anything away, let alone real taxable property.
Maybe instead of worrying about the cutting of an unjust tax, its time to get our priorities straight.....
@Ken P
I agree 100% with the idea that City government and all governments, for that matter, should try harder to cut expenditures. My issue is with Gov. Malloy's approach, which seems to be "I'll cut the taxes, and collect the political benefit of that. Other people can worry about the very hard job of cutting spending to pay for my tax cut."
Since what Malloy is proposing could reduce the City government's revenue stream by up to 5%, he should also be the one to do the work of convincing all the City's teachers, police officers, fire fighters, and other employees to take a 5% pay cut. Or he can simply give Norwalk whatever revenue is lost from eliminating the tax. Failing that, he's recklessly pursuing a political benefit by creating a budgetary crisis for cities which are already in dire straits. Taking the easy way out is what got Greece where it is today, we don't need that here in CT.