Hamden braces for tax increase following property value reassessment

A projected tax increase in Hamden has left homeowners stunned and frustrated as they await their next tax bill.

It comes on the heels of the pandemic-fueled home-buying frenzy municipalities around Connecticut experienced.

“It is devastating,” said Kay Lobban, who just bought her home in Hamden two years ago.

Being a homeowner just two years, she was shocked to hear about the spike.

“Think of the people that are living here already and how much we have to pay already,” she said.

Following a state re-evaluation of property values, according to town leaders, the average value increase to residential properties was 55%.

“We are seeing a pretty big shift from commercial to residential in terms of tax burden,” Mayor Lauren Garrett said.

The town just went through a state mandated property re-evaluation and according to the mayor’s office, sky high purchase prices during the pandemic fueled by bidding wars, meant whole neighborhoods, shot up in value.

More value, means higher taxes.

“In Hamden, we have people who are going to see a $3,000 tax increase in their tax bill,” Garrett said.

According to the mayor, the town is working with the state delegation to delay the increase. They have also dropped the mill rate just over 12 mills to soften the blow, but it doesn’t cover the spike and she still knows the impact will really hurt residents.

They are also considering a “phase in” approach to spread out the increase over a few years instead of all at once.

The mayor did acknowledge there are bills that need to be paid, so the town can’t afford to kick the can down the road more than just the phase in approach being considered for the re-evaluation increase.

“We have bills we have to pay from decades of mismanagement in the past,” Garrett said.

In looking long-term, she said she has been working with neighboring towns also impacted by re-assessment to take the issue to the state level, hoping the state will take a hard look at our tax structure.

“Changing some of the tax structure because if we continue down this road, we are going to place the burden of operating on homeowners,” she said.

She also sees increasing housing stock over the next five years ahead of another reassessment along with increasing the value of businesses operating in town will help.

She expects other municipalities to find themselves in similar positions as state assessment continues.

It’s a position homeowners will tell you, you don’t want to be in.

“We are already paying a lot now so with that, addition now, its going to be hard,” Lobban said.