If you own a house or car registered in New Haven, you will be receiving a city property tax bill soon. And you are already painfully aware of the steep property tax increases over the last three years -- even before the budget crisis this year caused by the recession and the heavy snowfall this winter.
If you are a renter with a car registered elsewhere, you may think you don't pay city property tax. You would be wrong.
As a renter, the city property tax is part of your rent.
I figured out that about 25% of my rent bill each month went strictly to the city property tax. That, combined with the property tax on my car, means that the city property tax I pay is about 10% of my gross household income. That is a very hefty bite. And all my neighbors are paying that rate too.
Hey -- I realize we all have to pay taxes to make the city run. But it means I'm not really in the mood to accept a city decree that the fire engine that protects my neighborhood -- alone of all fire engines in the city -- is going to be eliminated.
East Rock is a wonderful, thriving neighborhood -- until it is bled dry by taxes to support services in the rest of the city, while its own services are cut.
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