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Sports blog: Warrior Nation

By KARA O'CONNOR

Villager Staff Writer


WILTON -- Released this week, Wilton's Grand List comes in at $5.06 billion for 2009, representing a .71 percent increase over the 2008 figure.

The list, which is the total value of all taxable property such as real estate, farm equipment and automobiles, has not increased as much as it has in previous years, said Town Assessor David Lisowski. The 2008 figure, $5.02 billion, was a .77 percent increase over 2007.

"The trend has been that as the town keeps getting built out, there is less land for construction, which leaves less opportunity for increase within the grand list," said Lisowski. "In early 2000 and years before that, the Grand List had over a 1 percent increase, and that increase has steadily gone down as the years go by."

The main reason the list fell a few points in 2009 is due to the lack of building permit activity, he said.

"There are tons of reasons that the list is lower than last year, but I would say the main reason is there is not as much building permit activity as there was in the prior year," said Lisowski.

From 2008 to 2009, Wilton's real-estate property went up around $33 million or .72 percent. From 2007 to 2008, Wilton's real estate property went up around $40 million or .87 percent.

"The real-estate numbers still went up, but they didn't go up as much as they did from 2007 to 2008," said Lisowski. "Which contributes to the lower percentage for this year's Grand List."

Another reason the list dropped .06 percent in 2009 is because Wilton's motor vehicle assessment dropped, said Lisowski. Motor vehicles went from $178 million in 2008 to $176 million in 2009, dropping 1.2 percent.

"The motor vehicle assessment dropped a couple million from the year before," said Lisowski. "That is the function of people purchasing less motor vehicles due to the economy. The sales of the motor vehicles affect this number."

The Grand List has a direct affect on the town's mill rate, which will be computed after the town budget is set this May.

"The Grand List makes up the majority of the revenue the town receives on an annual basis and that is how the mill rate is adjusted," said Lisowski. A large jump in a Grand List would make the mill rate go down, he said.

Lisowski filed the list with the assessor's office on Saturday, Jan. 30. All Wilton property owners have the opportunity to appeal the assessments of their property to the Wilton Board of Assessment Appeals, he said.

"Every property owner has the chance to sit down with the board of appeals and contest the assessment if they feel it is not appropriate for their specific property," said Lisowski. "Depending on the appeals, a person's property assessment may then change."

Property owners must file a petition to the Board of Assessment Appeals on or before Friday, Feb. 19, at 4:30 p.m. in the Assessor's office to be scheduled for a hearing date.

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