Town Council Budget Workshop # 2 --April 14 , 2026

001All right. >> All right. Welcome everyone to this beautiful Is it summer now? Is it officially summer now? As of today, >> soon. >> All right. >> Still in spring. >> It's only April. >> All right. Well, it doesn't feel like April. >> Yeah. Uh so let's let's call together our Tuesday, April 14th budget workshop. First item on the agenda is pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> All right. Thank you everyone. Uh, next up, public comment. This portion of the meeting is specifically set aside for comments from the public who are asked to limit their comments to two minutes. Any person interested in providing public comment via email should email public meetings

002atroyhillct.gov prior to 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting to have their public comment read into the record. Do we have any? I have one public comment. All right. It's from David Le, who did not list his address. I urge the Rocky Hill Town Council to fully fund the education budget and fill the gaps in core services in our town budget that the last administration cut in recent years. I trust that we'll make worthwhile investments in our community and no longer kick the can down the road with HVAC improvements at Stevens, in the Office of Economic Development, and growing the Grand List. Thank you for continuing to hold more public meetings and for your commitment to transparency, David Le. >> Right. Thank you. Any me any members of the public? >> Seeing none. Um,

003moving on. Mona and Ray, did we you sent out an update, but do you have any other information for us? >> Oh, I thought that was exciting. I know. >> Oh, actuals. So exciting. Yes, we've removed the column with the account numbers in there and put year-to- date actuals in there. It's actually as as good as the first of uh April and also inserted uh some section on the capital improvement for multi-year. We had it by project but probably wasn't easy to read. inserted spreadsheet on multi-year uh for capital >> and she enjoyed doing >> immensely. >> It was exciting for you. Okay. >> Um did so you just added the that line for actuals and took off the account numbers. But did any of the questions that we had around any or or any

004of the things that you said were incorrect on there the first time? Did we change any of the numbers anywhere or anything? >> No. No. Leaving it as is, but that list is still there. And I believe we've got a potential one coming up. That could also be an additional reduction. There may be a duplicate in the facilities. It's not there night, but in facilities, if you've looked on their part-time, you saw 60,000 appear twice. It should be in custodial only. So, we have another 60,000 to go. >> All right. Keep it up. Yes. And we and we still are having positive information about that uh revenue source, the 220,000 uh reading on that. So, we'll should be putting that back in as a revenue source. Uh won't affect the discussion side on expenditures, but

005it will help as we try to reduce the mill rate. >> All right. Yeah, that's as far as the numbers. That's what I saw too, looking over the the update you sent out. I just wanted to confirm that. And uh yeah, you are Um, I would encourage all of the good news to bring uh no no more additions. Uh, >> well, we have one tiny one, right, for Health District. >> Yeah. >> For $8,000, but I think we're okay. We can handle that. >> What was that? >> Health district gave their final uh number in. >> It was a little higher. Yeah. >> No, not allowed. Too late. >> I'm not changing either. >> All right. I'm kidding. Sorry. I think it's the heat is getting to us. Um, all right. So, are we just

006going going to go in order tonight then? Um, but I understand the health district isn't available this evening. Correct. >> Correct. >> So, starting at the top, >> probate. >> Okay. >> I'll do this one. >> U, let me scroll down. So, as you can see, there's no change. Uh this is actually a number that comes from a town of Newington that generates this. Uh we have a tendency to get this probably after our adoption. The increases are not um large increases as you can see over the uh the years and it's based on um grandlist driven. So at this point there will be no change until we get a final notice from Newington. So you mean it's grand list driven? >> We report to Newington what our grand list is. They take their costs

007and they divide it up over the towns based on grand list prata grand list. >> Okay. Anyone any questions? >> All right. Thank you. probate. >> Mhm. >> Um, registar of voters. >> Just FYI, I have to refuse. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Do we have guests for for register our voters tonight? >> Come on up. >> Yeah. you >> I'm I'm not sure what you would like me to speak about. >> Well, if you see to the your monitor to the left, I have uh your uh goals if you want to talk to that and then when you're ready, I can scroll down to the uh the financial page, the numerical page when you're ready. >> Okay. So um the first uh operational effectiveness um increased participation with ROVAC. ROVAC is the state uh

008registar of voters association of Connecticut uh organization. Um and uh we um we have monthly meetings and we have two yearly uh conferences. And yes, we do discuss when when the um legislature is in session, we discuss um what things we would like to see um added or changed in the um um statutes. Um and so that's an ongoing all of our um goals are ongoing because uh a lot of our what we do is statutory anyway. So most of our go go goals would be ongoing. Um prepare for voting equipment malfunctions by testing working with sades for new equipment. While we, as you all know, we have new tabulators and the governor just passed a statute saying that we will be putting early voting ballots into the tabulators. Isn't that going to be fun?

009Um uh so yeah. Uh yeah, we do work um with the Secretary of State uh in getting our equipment, making sure it's it's up to date and and uh we do test all of our equipment, including our um uh machines that are for handicapped people. So again, it's all ongoing. You know, it's something that doesn't have a definitive end to it. Okay, I'm going to go down to your budget page. I'm going to do anything on the highlights. >> Um, okay. So, so we're looking at 2026. Now, this is interesting because 2026 was a local election. So it would stand to reason that we would have more in this year because it's going to be a state and federal election. We have uh um representative up uh uh and um you know we have all

010of the um statutory um um things in the state like um governor um secretary of state um um you know all all of those offices. So it's going to we have to have a primary. We don't have to. We are going to have a primary this year because there's multiple um people running for the same office and I'm I I almost I'd say it's a 98% chance we'll have primary. So that would that would be that increase. Um um speaking to salaries, you all know my my view on salaries. I mean to me that is a a acceptable um That is an acceptable uh increase. Um I I have no problems. The question I do have is does this salary indicate a ra an hourly raise for our deputies? That's what I'm concerned about. >>

011Not at this point because they'd be non-bargaining. We'd put it in after July one. >> Okay. No. >> Okay. >> Otherwise, I I have no problem. See, I don't if you have any questions for me, but >> did you want to talk about on the uh the tabulators the 50,000? We're keeping it at 50. Okay. For next year, in case you wanted to mention that one. >> I I we haven't gotten uh any notification from the secretary's office yet on how much that will cost us this year. I suspect it's going to be less than the 50,000 because we already purchased the new tabulators. We have them in house. We use them twice already. Um so I would assume that we go down if if you would like as soon as we find out Tom

012and I could let you know what the actual amount would be. >> Okay. >> Can you repeat what you just said? Sorry. You said they're already purchased. >> Yes. >> So the 50k were proposes under the 2026 budget or 2027. >> Yeah. Did you invoice for those yet? >> I don't know if three. I will check though and I'll get that information. >> A timing difference for that will go. >> But then that would still mean we have an extra 50 somewhere. >> What's up? I think wouldn't that if we projected it for 26 but we didn't pay it that'd be a leftover carryover >> correct >> right well if he hasn't invoiced it will decrease that and then if it's not the full amount it'll go to >> right so we hope we pay

013the invoice by June 30th >> yes absolutely >> right and then >> he will >> but we may not need the 50 in the proposed for next year I think is what Melissa is saying >> right that could that could definitely go down he'll update us with that. >> Yep. I will get that Tom and I will get that information to you um as soon as possible. >> Could you answer uh the register two? The salary went down. That accurate >> 25. >> No, that's again one of these uh previously everything was lumped in as one and this is trying to separate the two categories. So when you're looking at prior year, >> okay. >> Right. >> 57 and 26. Mhm. >> It's an increase of >> I got it. >> $800 it looks like.

014>> Yeah. And there's there increases for that department. There are all non-unions who will come in similar to like the non-bargaining department heads after July 1. And anything that increase comes from contingency. >> And >> what about the election workers? That's a big increase. >> Same wavelength. election workers again um um the election workers this year we will will have um 21 days of early voting plus a primary day which is a full you know 6:00 in the morning to late at night plus an election day. So we're definitely going to need more election workers than we did last year. So that that would indicate uh an increase in salary. Yeah. Not an increase in salaries but an increase of how many people are working and how many people we need to pay. >> And

015we got reimbured last year for the election workers. >> We last year the secretary's office gave every town I believe it was $10,000. Correct. >> 11. It doesn't cover a whole lot. >> No. No. Of course. what's going to happen this year. We are not quite sure yet. >> I can get that information to you. >> No, I we I we had to remember two years ago we had the discussion about them instituting early voting, but then for the first year offsetting it, but going forward it wasn't offset, right? So 21 days gets thrown on the top. >> There may still be money coming to us. I don't know how the state budget what's in the state budget. Mona, how much was that grant that came in last year that was expiring had to be

016used by December 31st? Did that offset any of the 2026 budget items? >> That was the uh the 11,000 that he's referring to. >> Okay. >> It was 11,05 to be exact, but >> Phil, is there any opportunity for another grant like that? >> Uh, yes. Uh we haven't heard from the secretary yet, but uh we did input some information to her earlier this year, so we're waiting to hear. >> Okay. >> Well, I I think that's uh based on what the what the state budget's going to come out to and what what they actually give the secretary's office, you know. >> Okay. Thanks. So the ju just to sum up the difference in the cost from the current budget year to the to the future one because I totally under understand that I if

017we're going from essentially one day of voting, you know, three years ago to 21 days. There's obviously a cost associated with that, but so we we bought tabulators last year >> for 50,000ish. >> Yeah. this year. >> Yes. Yes. >> Have not seen the final. >> We have them. >> But we have they haven't been invoiced and come out of the system yet. >> Correct. >> But we have another 50,000 for tabulators in this budget >> so far. >> Do we need to buy more or >> No. Again, we that that may go down. So there's somewhere up to $50,000 worth of tabulators that >> right >> we're are not going to we're not going to have to >> pay for somewhere. >> Now there's maintenance fees that but I I think maintenance will go

018into a separate >> category, right? Um >> yes, that's on your equipment repair which is a small amount of 3,000. So you may have some smaller equipment items in there in addition to the tabulator. So I think you could be looking at potentially that in half. >> Okay. Um >> maybe 70%. >> The software that we use for well I have two questions. One under the performance measures it talks about the number of registered voters and the eligible voters increasing by a fair amount. >> Mhm. from 24 25 26 and then next year. Um are we really expecting another 1,500 eligible voters in the next year or are we just trying to make sure we're budgeted for that possibility? >> Um well with it's hard to say with the new um apartments coming in uh

019I I that's that's a difficult um >> Okay. So, we're just trying to be conservative assuming that we might have some growth there, but >> Right. Right. >> Did we But did we actually see that amount of growth from 2425 to 2526? >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. >> Those are actual numbers. Yeah. >> And then um so to my second point though, our the software that we use for I forget the name of it. Um >> the um >> it's it's the vote tallies. It's the I think it's a >> the poll books is what you >> the Yes. >> Poll books or the voter checklist? Uh >> yeah. Yeah, the poll books. Yeah. >> Is that built into your cost or is that in under the clerks? >> That's built into us. It's um

020I know we put that in someplace here >> under technical supplies >> within your supplies. >> Yes. So it's been my experience at least from the outside that that is super old and has a lot of issues. Is there an opportunity to perhaps modernize that? >> Okay. So, >> and what would the cost of something like that? >> That I would have to find out for you, but I can tell you that there are no So, let let me just give a little bit of background in case someone is not familiar. Poll books are basically our um unofficial checklist, which in the old days we used to have a paper checklist and they'd have runners every two hours going to both uh the Republican and Democratic uh headquarters. So, the Secretary of State has not

021has not um approved any um poll book as of yet. Many towns do not use poll books. Some of us do. Some of us use different companies. The University of Connecticut has a department whose job it will be to certify a polebook um system. They already have certified one actually. And it's the same company that makes our tabulators. >> Okay. >> I could find out how much that would cost to for us to get that software. However, however, both Tom and I would have to agree on what we want to use. And whether that happens, I I I couldn't say. >> Just Yeah. And I understand you could spend money up to Wazu for the most amazing system ever or whatever. I just know that um from the user experience on the outside the fact

022that like even our voting numbers today on the register our voters website on our website are still incorrect and we are also like the last town almost always to report our numbers to the state and I don't know if that's under >> no that that's not the >> poll that is not able to do that >> the night of the election the head moderator operator's job is to put all of the um all of the results into the um state system. Normally um our our town clerk is there and and my deputy is is there too. So why they're late, we would have to discuss with her with the head moderator. I'm I'm just looking for, you know, if if this is like a $300 line item somewhere in the budget and it needs to

023be like a $500 line item, >> it's it's considerably more than that. >> I I would assume I'm, >> you know, >> being hyperbolic there, but um Okay, thanks. Thanks for that a little bit of that background. and if there's grants available for updating systems or whatever, of course, we always like to to use that stuff. But thank you for for that uh info. C >> can I ask because we went back to registered voters and eligible voters? We have registered voters is 179 and only 16. What what makes somebody ineligible? the okay so there are three uh types of uh voters in the system there are um active which like you and I or anybody here would be active there are inactive >> and there are people that are off the people that are

024off would not be um in that um in that in those numbers it would be registered voters everybody >> um eligible voters voters. Uh >> J, correct me if I'm wrong. I don't think the off would be that number. It would just be inactive. Right. >> Right. >> Yeah. So >> off when they're off, they're not on >> they're gone. >> So when they're off, they're not registered. >> When they're off, they're >> gone entirely. >> So in other words, when I print for the election day, >> Yeah. >> I print an active voter list. >> Yeah. >> Off people I I active and inactive. We do not print an office because >> Sure. >> They can't vote, right? >> But that's the difference in those numbers. >> Yeah. Phil, can you please Yeah. Can

025you just use the mic just folks at home? >> I'm sorry. Sorry. Yeah. So, >> I know you. >> All right. That's I'm just trying to understand it. Not >> Not worth the conversation there. All right, any other questions? >> Uh, for what it's worth, I I did want to mention that as we all know, there have been a lot of changes in the election system over the last half decade. And uh, for every town, it's been a it's been a struggle to adapt. Um, and I I appreciate how difficult it's been. We're we're always going to look for ways to do a little bit better, but we appreciate the service that you and your counterpart are putting in. >> Yeah. Especially now multiple times a year. >> Yeah. for many days. Excellent point. All

026right. Any other questions, thoughts? All right. >> Thanks, Phil. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. >> Yeah, tax collection. Next up, >> next up is our tax collector, Elaine McKim. >> Hello, everybody. >> Not too much room, huh? Okay. Okay, I'm going to start with my goals. So, first we have um I'm going to do staff which is going to be a priority uh continue my education. Um that will be myself and I have a deputy. It take um we need 50 hours and we can do that in five years. But um like right now I'm like 40% to keep our certification. I'm a little nervous. Hold on. >> Let me breathe. >> Okay. So um and my deputy also um she's got it certified and so she also needs to go through the

027certification for 50 hours. So what happens is like it sounds you know 50 hours doesn't sound much because we have five years to do it but we can go to like um schooling for like four hours and the state might turn around just say that class only was one hour and then if um between the both of us we have like try to do it there's like they also have um tax conference we can have 12 hours credits which is an annual um conference we can do that too but if something happens and um someone's out sick or something happens, we missed that conference, so we're out of that 12 hours. So, we have to try to make it up. Um, I also have a technical assistant. She's um taking courses right now. Matter of

028fact, she's on her second um course out of the four courses to become a certified tax collector. Her test is tomorrow. So, good luck. >> She's still at home studying right now. Absolutely. >> There she is. >> Okay. And um any questions on that part? The cross. >> Okay. So, the next thing that's I'm going to move down um is the cross trainining, which is a big fan of mine practice because when I first started here, um it was in my job description to be cross trainined with the assessor's office, which the assessor took me under his wing there. And um shows how the tax bill starts in his office and how everything works up to become, you know, to get to the tax bill. So, which helped me is that I learned that part

029that made me become the tax collector. And we already um trained he's a assistant assessor. He's been trained in my office when he was a deputy. So, he's been trained. um his new technical assistant. I just actually trained her in my office, which came out really good because I had someone out um on leave, extended leave for six weeks. She picked it up, was really well. She had banking. She's really good. And next, I have the lady I was just telling you about that's going to school. She is going to be trained next to help out in assessor's office, which should be working out because she used to be assessor in another town. So, that will help us out, you know, for um medical leave, military leave. She's also military so far. >> Making sure

030he's not throwing things at me. So, that's unworked out. Plus, it's in their job description. So when they are hired it says you know to be crossrained in each other's office. So it works out so far pretty good I believe. And the next thing is um operationals it's uh exceed three years collection rate which I believe is supposed to be 99.2. Right now I'm at 99.08. So shame on me. >> The year's not over time. still time. Okay, now you got me out. I'm feeling better. What do you mean shaking at me? >> Um, so just let you know hopefully to see I'm going to be changing um switching over the motor vehicles and the motor vehic software um suckles for um the delinquents to our tax service. So I'm going to um hopefully that

031will get extra money before June because it's the um the grand list 2024. So, it's going to be all the motor vehicle motor vehicle supples delinquents. So, hopefully they can help us try to find people that moved out of state and stuff like that or the people that just don't want to pay. That's a big thing. >> Yep. And >> on that collection rate, um you have it for all three categories uh together >> for the three-year. Uh well each year right your real estate accounts personal property motor vehicle right 99.4% from actual >> was there one area that was we didn't collect a lower percentage of 99.4 in other words >> I think and >> so like who's the biggest efficiency the the the property tax or the car uh motor vehicle or the

032personal property? >> Motor vehicles >> by far. >> Yes. >> Okay. because um two years where they don't have to pay their um taxes for like your um registration. >> Yeah. >> So you'd be amazed a lot of people just like I don't have to come pay my taxes for two years. >> Yeah. >> So >> and they won't. >> Mhm. And they won't. >> So that's Yeah. Right. Well, also >> or they moved out of state. That's other thing, you know, >> or god forbid they >> do they get reported to a DMV like uh list because if you >> skip on a parking ticket, you can't reregister. >> No, I report them. So like say if the taxes are due um August 1st. >> Yeah. >> And then I wait till like maybe

033August 4th just in case. >> You only give three days. That's pretty >> No, because we need our money. 99% I'm here for >> um no because then I report them to DMV. So what's happening with DMV now? I don't know if you're all aware that um if you don't register your car, you know, if you don't pay your taxes, you can't register your car. But the newest thing is you can't even um renew your license. >> That's what Okay. So they have some which is unfortunately like a six-year thing or something like that. Yeah. Correct. Okay. >> Yep. So that's even >> we'll get them eventually. We're going to be 103 next year. >> I hope so. Or you have to chase people down for the money. So you're aware of that. You've seen

034me do that. >> That's so >> actually um just on that note, Elaine. >> Yes. >> So why why would you estimate 26 27 going down >> versus going up like going from 99.4 4 to 99.5. I mean, that's a performance measure, isn't it? >> Why are you going down? >> That was um >> was it back when we had >> it's a three-year average. So, that's actually a calculation that's required in that. So, if you look at on that same page, 2223 was a 993. So, what's used to create your um tax revenue is a three-year average. So, she can aspire to be 99.8 if she chose, but what's going to drive your calculation for your um tax revenue is going to be the three-year average. >> Does that make sense? >> Yeah. But

035I'm just surprised that it's under performance measure >> because it's it's really not a lane. It's an average, >> right? Her performance measure could be just even greater than that, >> right? >> You want do you want to say 99.8? That was hard. >> 99.65. >> She's 99.65. >> I mean, I think there should be some >> some input from her and her department about that because it is a measure that I'm sure you >> would do performance measures, >> you know, on the employees. >> So, I'm just kind of pointing that out. >> Just a quick comment since we're talking about this in vehicles. Is there a program to check all these apartments out where people aren't register in our town for taxes for these cars? Do you have anything that >> like a

036company or >> company or your office does it? You go out and determine that these people are in our town now, but they're not paying the property tax. >> Unfortunately, that is um we have that discussion with the assessor. Um that's so like for if I don't mind speaking for you guys. Um if I'm wrong, let me know. I'm sure he will. Who knows? Um but anyways, what happens like if we go out and there's like people might come like neighbors, say we've seen this card just for example from Florida, they can give us the plate, they can go to Stuart. Stuart can find out like how long they actually been living there. He can add it to the um the tax role. >> Okay. So that's his office. Also, if there's like unregistered vehicles

037in your yard just sitting there, the same thing. Report it to the assessor's office or you can report it to me and I just go report it to the assessor office. We do it that way. >> Okay. Thanks. I'll ask him when he comes up. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> But sorry to get you off track. >> Oh, no. That's good. I mean, I had a question along a similar lines. So, that's but that's more of that's like a one person at a time snitching on your neighbors type thing. There's not like a system to try to do that. Yeah. >> Um >> I know there's like there's one program I mean there's a company that's out there. >> Yeah. >> But that again that um >> there's a cost associated with that and

038it's they're collecting a lot of data and >> Yeah. But I mean councelor Whan brings up a good point though because we have so many apartments in town. we have, you know, potentially a more transient population and they might not even be absconding from taxes. They might just be like, "Hey, I lived in an apartment in Hartford and now I moved to Rocky Hill and we're actually going to save them money on their car tax if they did it, but they don't know that they need to change." >> Um, I mean, it's an area of opportunity maybe. U, but I don't know what that system looks like. And I think if you pay a company to do it, it's they take 30 to 40% of that of whatever they collect and it's a whole >>

039it's a whole thing or something. So >> anyway, we'll get into that with AS. >> Yeah, because I know like we spoke to like some of the tax collector. We just had a conference a couple weeks ago >> and um they were like talking about stuff like that too, but it falls back like that >> goes with the assessor >> do all the assessment stuff and then >> it's not you going out there but >> scratching down all the plates and looking the people up. But I mean we get well to in all fairness the way that it came up is we you know I've heard from police officers in town when they have some a car needs to be towed or something they look it up and they're like this isn't even registered in

040town like >> um and they get that a lot at you know um some of our larger apartment complexes they say more than half the time that's the case. So, >> I do have to say um a little bit on that is that um the police officers that will be out there, I have to say thank you to, you know, if they'll turn around, they pull you over and they can um they have like those little plate readers. If they pull you over, it's not registered. Um the police officer will tell them like you have to pay your taxes or you're not going to get your car or whatever. So, that's a good thing, too. >> More lane's coming for you. the amazing things I can do with them. Let me loose. >> Okay, so

041now I'm back to my little budget here. >> Um the thing that has if you look down like I'm just going to jump down to the postage has gone up. The reason why um it's gone up a thousand. I mean postage is going to go up to July. It's not going to be up a lot but I mean it will be going up. But I am um decided to try to do in-house mailing because um we used to have the QDS which is our program that does the bills and stuff like that. Um they got a little costly where I used to have them um fold to do delinquents the demands notice which I have to send out after the bills by state statute. So like August I have um the QDS does the folding

042and does that stuff because it's such a enormous amount of demand. We can't do that in the office but like um in September we can we we can have it in there. So happen actually this $3,000 is inhouse. I use the meter upstairs and so what we do now you just think I just collect bills but we actually send out like a tent to leans when you don't pay. So I have to send out you know the notices demand notice. Sounds like rough, but it's not. It's just for me to say it's demand. We're asking you to do this so I can take my next steps. So, we have stuff like that that goes out. Um, a lot of returns. We probably have about a thousand returns that comes that we have to try to

043do our skip tracing, find the new address. We're doing that, you know, with Acura and stuff like that. And then we send out the new bill because if it comes back to post office, sometimes we have the little yellow that says their new address, we can do that. So that's costly. So when it comes back, it's like we send it's like 74 cents. So that's why that's up. Elaine, quick quick question. If we talk about people moving in from a different town, right? >> Say they had a lease that they signed 12 months ago with Kelson Row, right? They never registered their car in Rocky Hill where we can get that tax that retroactive tax or no >> um unfort of October 1st of the grandless year if um you were registered like I'll just

044say if you were registered in Avon as of October 1st 2024 but you moved here in November. >> Yeah. >> As of October 1st you would be paid. >> Okay. Let's say you moved in September. in September if you changed it with um DMV. >> Well, let's say you didn't change it >> and then it goes to the town that you were in or um if the assessor finds out or we can find out we can add it to the grand list year and we can get add it that way then we can >> retro. >> Correct. It goes back you have to >> the time they moved in. >> Okay. Sorry. >> Just want to step on these toes. >> Okay. >> All right. Anybody else? Good. All right. >> Well, thank you so

045much. >> Thank you. >> And good luck to your colleague on their test tomorrow. >> Next up is town clerk. Good evening, mayor, deputy mayor, members of the town council. My name is Sandy Willough and I'm the town clerk and I'll be presenting my budget to you tonight. So, I guess the first thing we're looking at is my goals, right? >> Um, I don't see >> Are they up there? I think that's the only one you have, Sandy. I'm so sorry. >> I think Sandy had about 10. I'm not sure why you got one. >> Well, those are my goals. >> I'm really optimistic. I'm going to do all this stuff. So, you know, uh we try to maintain training and communication with oursel and the registars because things change so quickly. We also try

046to make sure our assistants are trained and get all the training we can get. Um, another one of my goals was to make sure all our land records were available online and some of the larger books that are very large, very heavy, I couldn't get images up. So, they're indexed, but now I have a grant and I'll be able to bridge that information and save my shoulder a little more, work on it. >> Trying to think if I have another one. >> I'll show you there. >> Okay. Um, the only thing I can tell you about my budget is everything is by state statute. We don't do anything without the state approving it. What we charge is by state statute. The quality of our paper is by state statute. Our binders by state statute. Everything

047we do is kind of a small pool of vendors when you have to get certain grade paper, uh, rag content, foldability, ripability, something that's going to hold up for years for archiving. So, we're kind of at the mercy of all our vendors. When they raise their prices, we have to go along with it. We we can't just go to another vendor and because there's not too many out there and the same books. So, that's probably a reason why a lot of the stuff is starting to increase. Our software assurance is increasing. Not too many vendors do the indexing either. So, we have, I think, five vendors and that's all you have. So, you have to find a vendor that's going to give you everything you want. Um, let me see what else we have. Are

048there any questions you want to ask while I'm >> along Yeah, along some of those lines. Um, for the election, the printing is is that the most economical the way you do it now, is that the most economical way of doing it? >> That's correct. All our ballots have to be approved by the Secretary of the State. So when we get them printed out, all the fonts have to be the same size and they measure and they make sure that the darkening toners are all the same. So everything has to be done by state statute. >> We have one very good vendor which we go with. They're local, so we use them and they're very consistent with knowing what the requirements are. >> Now, this year, I think, is our first year of having no

049excuse absentee ballots. So, we don't know if we're going to have more early voting or more people taking out ballots for absentee. Sometimes they go to both. They'll they'll request a ballot in the mail. We'll send it out for a dollar and then they show up for early voting. >> Um, just one thing from Ray and Mona for I just want to go back for to performance measure again. And I I just for some reason I I don't know if I asked this last year or whatever, it's really not performance measures for the recorded items because it's it's going to happen. People are going to come in and record items. It's not something that is um >> you know if it's it's there. >> It's like activity measure, >> right? It's activity measure. Mhm. >>

050One thing I would probably suggest thinking about is certain criteria within somebody coming in and some process, the time it takes to do a process >> or cutting down on paperwork or something that's not statute driven. >> Um, things like that that are measurable, >> right? >> Instead of just people coming in for a permit or whatever. And Mhm. >> We got to sell more dog licenses though. Exactly. >> Right. We We can't do the next town over, so we have to just do our own. So, we can't do the the sharing of, you know, services like that. I can't record their documents. Uh >> we're kind of very limited. >> If now if you had, let's forget about budget limits. Have you seen anything in other towns that are very efficient that if you

051had the money to purchase that process to make it efficient here? Is there anything that stands out that you could think of? >> Nothing. >> We all do the same jobs. We all use pretty much the same vendors. We're all held to when we have to file reports. >> Everything we do has to be reported back to Secretary of State. >> Okay. All right. Thanks. and your uh professional services there. Did any of them jump out at you with a big increase? There's increases, but I don't know what went up so much. >> Salaries I know are up and I think I added a little bit extra for I know our general code also I added extra general codes are vendor for our uh ordinances and charter and every 10 years you're supposed to open

052the charter and take a look at it. We are at that point now of taking a look at our charter and seeing whether we want to change anything. So if a change is made at this department, every supplement I have to pay extra for and I never know how many ordinance we're going to pass in a year. I don't know what we're going to be doing. So I try to add a little extra there. >> But we're up 26% in overall for your professional services. I mean I don't think you added that much. Uh that would be the increase of the microfilming of documents. Every map and everything gets microfilmed. Went from 05 to 08. Our audit of our land records, every land record we do, we have them audited by state statute. That also

053went up from a dollar I think to a$15. And we never know how many documents we're going to get. My general code went up a $100 on that for the software assurance. The other two are stayed stable. And I think that's the only things that changed. But we never know how many documents we're going to record. So I don't know how many we're going to audit. We don't know how many we're going to have to microfilm. We don't know how many are going to have to be stored or how many rolls we have to store. So you're kind of like guessing as to how many documents per month. >> Um I see a line item for software assurance updates for 3,000. Is that what what updates cost $3,000 to that? Can you explain that one?

054>> The one that went up uh with 200 was the general code. Is there another one you're looking at? The software insurance. >> Yeah, that one. >> Actually, they I mean I think the area you're looking at I I don't see any prior charges for >> No, there is. >> It's rolled up into those service contracts. So, >> but even if >> budgeted 8,445 last year, so it's a 2,300ish increase, >> which by the way, the actual is only three. I'm assuming they're going to come in Mona, right? Like there go the mandatory question. >> See, it's a lot of the year end invoicing. >> Okay. >> When it's a total. >> Yeah. So, yeah. So, we're going from 8,400 to 107. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Just a quick observation. Your assistant makes more

055than you overall. Is that accurate? >> How's that work? >> I don't know. I have a master's degree and 30 years experience. I don't know. That's >> Is she more senior than you? >> Just in the town, but I've been more experienced from 1993 to present in the field >> than usual. >> And a master's degree in management. >> Okay. >> Union position. I guess that's the only way to say the union. I said well and I'll also mention again Sandy would be non-bargaining so her increase is not going to show. So once we go through the process that will not stay that way. >> Yeah. So the assistants are uh in the bargaining unit and are going to get their steps and they're contractual and she will get hers after July one with uh

056through the contingency. >> Perfect. Thank you. I mean, >> not not to dwell on it at all, but the the gap between the two seems to be relatively small. >> I mean, personally, I would I'd like to see that parody at least created right there, but regardless of what the >> okay >> way to do it is >> at minimum. >> Getting getting back to the to the ballots. Um, is there I know in some states they have a method or you can track absentee ballots. Do we have anything like that in Connecticut? We were putting something at one point, but it confused everyone because you go to the Secretary of State and find out where your ballot was, but then people were confused as to how it really read because we send everything out

057within 24 hours. We have to. But we're having problems with our mail. A lot of problems. >> So, so let's say if I were away and I wanted to put in an absentee ballot, I can't find out whether you got it or not. >> Uh, you can check, I think, with the Secretary of State to see whether it's been issued. I think they might have a tracking device or you can always contact us. But once we get the application, date stamp it in, we get the ballot ready and we send it right out the same day. >> So I can check with you. You would have my name checked off. So if I check with you, you would say yes or we didn't receive your ballot and I can correct. Okay. Thank you. >> But

058again, the mail has not been very good. I'm not sure whether they take it from Rocky Hill. I don't know why they don't if it's a Rockill person just keep it Rocky Hill and deliver. >> It goes off where? Springfield or somewhere? >> Yes. the bat. >> You don't have like a box. >> Yeah, there there is a central hub in Springfield that I am only from doing some marketing related things recently found out most of the mail heads up there before it comes back to us. >> That's crazy. >> Um and I would just just to circle back real quick. Um, you know, I asked from the registars's office, is there anything better that we can do around technology when it comes to voting reporting or anything? >> This is everything the secretary of

059state tells us we could do. They picked out the tabulars. They tell us how to do it. >> Uh, we have uh two new programs coming in, total vote, ESNS. We don't know how that's going to work, but everything is regulated by the Secretary of State. So then what is the hangup on election day of putting out results? >> That's the moderator. >> Okay. That's where the bottleneck is. >> That's the moderator. >> Doesn't have to do with the poll book we use or >> nothing any of the technology. >> They have the counters up here. They run the ballots through. They get a tape off the tape. >> She takes the tape. She enters it into the computer. The the last and the hardest part is that 8 o'lock checking the box. We didn't

060have that box open on election day. It would be great. But there's always someone that puts a ballot in the box. So 8 o'clock I go out there and they're trying to wrap up upstairs. >> You mean the box outside? Okay. >> My favorite one. >> Yeah. Um and then it's and then it's just >> Yeah. Then they run everything through a tabulator. She gets the tape off and then she has to sit down and start entering into the computer. That goes directly to the Secretary of State as far as I know within 24 hours. that EMS uh system we have. >> Okay. >> So, I don't know why it doesn't reflect that we have our returns. And that's I look at the same thing and I said, "Where is it? >> I'm not sure

061>> because she's inputting." I know she takes tapes home with her sometimes. We're here at two in the morning, which is crazy. >> Takes the tapes home with her. >> Yeah. Huh. >> Is that how that works? >> Uh that's the way this moderator works. >> I don't. >> Sorry. >> All right. Hey, we might have opened a can of worms, but >> I am not sure somebody's supposed to be taking us. >> So, we're trying to get another one. >> Did I say that? >> No, I just, you know, because obviously it's something we've all experienced on on uh election day where halfway through the day things still aren't updated and then that evening it takes hours. Every these big cities with multiple voting locations are all saying, "Oh, declaring winners and all of

062this stuff." and we're >> waiting for the clock to turn and then the next day the numbers still aren't in and nobody you know >> when we were done with LC Bells at 11:00 in the olden days I remember >> and then they would run to the polls and they'd open the back of the machine and they'd read off the numbers and we had results. >> Yeah. >> Now we have tabulators. >> Now we have a machine that counts it and it takes longer >> and we don't seem to I mean like I said it's everything is going the the wrong direct. I'd rather go back to the levers, but >> I mean I mean they really were satisfying. >> Hopefully voting is going to go through tabulators right away. That might speed things up

063a little bit because those numbers should already be >> hopefully. Well, I hope. >> Well, it seems like every year we're >> Yeah. >> figuring it out again. >> I know. Every year you get everything in a row and you you have everything counted and then you come up with a different number. You said, "How does she come up with a different number?" >> Wrong numbers last year reported. Yeah. >> Who picks the monitor? >> Where's the monitor come from? Is that >> uh the parties pick her? She she's directly responsible in the registars. I have no say. >> So is she spec I don't I apologize for not knowing this. She's not is she specific to Rocky Hill or she's a moderator. >> Rocky Hill. So she's a moderator chosen by the registars. >>

064I was just asking who is our moderator. >> Have to agree. And that's >> well we're usually busy if you can do that. So >> again, apologize for reaching into another department that we're already talking about, but as far as you know, do they do they is this a choice every single year a fresh choice of moderator even if it's the same person? >> We are the same person. We have one. >> But every year there is a process of they decide they notify on some level that they've made this decision. >> They they have to agree and if they don't agree then you're basically defaulting to the person that you have and that's but just to go back around full circle tapes to tapes going home. Okay. Okay. >> All righty. >> So, Allan,

065do you have any more, you know, technology advice for them? >> I don't know. Metal detector at the door. >> You could stop asking if they need technology. >> Yeah, that's enough. I think that's enough. >> All right. Anybody else have any questions though for the clerk's office? >> Awesome. All right. Thank you much. >> Thank you, Sandy. Finance and accounting. >> Oh, no. >> You are you bringing all the money home with you? >> I couldn't carry it. >> You bring the invoices home. >> I'm sorry. >> My word. Actually, I think we have the assessor next. >> Skipping you. >> Did I skip somebody? Okay, I'll go first then. >> Sorry, Stuart. I was reading my book, not the agenda item. Okay, finance calisthetics. >> That would be me. So, yes, we've got

066a few goals here. Um, first one is going to be monitoring and tracking reserves. Ideally, uh we will uh go back and recreate our level of reserves for funding future projects. And we started off and we um kind of backed away from it for this current year, but definitely um a project that that should be followed and and and brought back to life during this budget process. Um of course, we'll continue to maintain the uh the S&P doublea plus. At this point, we don't have any immediate plans for doing any uh bonding. Um, but there's a potential in the next year or so to um to do something with that, whether it be a land acquisition and actually maybe finishing up uh some of the other uh projects. Um GFOA award. Uh look at that

067one. 80% we've got the uh audit and going for the uh award for budget. Uh continuing that. um also along as the um for the GFOA uh receiving those two awards uh and now the next uh aspect is going to be focusing on the performance which are these uh tables that I'm looking at right now to be monitoring these and uh as well as uh improving our presentation on CIP and of course uh upgrading and streamlining as you can see there's uh always something being upgraded or streamlined uh in the land of finance and actually operations. Uh probably departments don't want to see me anymore because I always want to automate something or find a better quicker way, but that's what I do. >> Mona, on um the double A+ standard pores, what what's the

068highest rating? Is it AA plus? >> Triple Yeah, >> we're not there yet. But we've had double A+ for uh gosh over 20 years though. The goal is to keep it. We were actually uh I don't know if you remember the discussion that we were uh actually teetering on losing that and dropping down a level because we were doing things like not keeping the fund balance, not doing reserves. So >> remember, >> yes. And obviously not funding the pension properly. So, um, we may actually need this year to, uh, to keep ourselves in a nice stable ground. >> What do we have to do for triple? >> Um, if we get to our fund balance at about 10%, you're going to be looking at something like that. You really need to show that you've got

069uh, a solid fund balance, you know, that you're that you are planning for the future. And it's we're we're going in that direction, but we just aren't there yet. But I think we've got the potential of being there. I'm optimistic. >> G to come. >> DoubleA is still a pretty good battery. >> Oops. >> Like that. Okay. >> As for the uh the uh budget page for finance, uh we've got u some slight increases. Um obviously for uh we've got the um the audit services uh that's got a uh an increase in we will uh be either coming forward to finance for an extension or an increase uh for the u that contract we are covered through the end of uh this fiscal year. uh software slightly up. Uh we put some uh a lot

070of dollars into the uh clear gov trying to get this itemization and the detail information about salaries and tying it into the budget. So um there shouldn't be any more increases. Um actually the 20,000 for next year could be less uh because they was very ambitious for this current year and took on all modules at once. This was going to be a staged out process. Uh the software costs will continue. It's the implementation. So you we could have a cushion of probably about $5,000 because I went and did the implementation of all modules at once. I don't know if I'll do that again, but >> you will. >> I will. I know I will. >> And other than that, a slight increase for uh dues and subscription. Uh I have uh a new town treasurer

071uh as well as my assistant and we are keeping up with uh certifications. So they'll need memberships with the GFOA. So we've got a a slight increase in that uh to keep them all um certified. So for finance, so what was the what's the increase in um the services that we're getting from clear gov? Like what's the difference now that we're using that we weren't before or that we're planning to use? >> Right. Originally it was clear gov which was the basic which has created the budget from last year >> which didn't have all the the itemized point. I'm pointing in the air. I might as well point here. It would not show uh the positions tied into the budget or give us the flexibility to report more detail within our line items. Uh was

072an additional module. Um also the u those are actually two. One is to to itemize and be more flexible in the document. The second one is to tie your uh wages and salary tables from your financial system into this budget document. So that was the second. The third module is the um strategic planning which is um what is creating the uh the bar graphs as well as what's going to become that monthly um uh software that the town manager can use and say how are you doing department head on your goals and and progressing forward. So there were three modules within there implemented and um that's going to be for next year to just keep them maintained will be just shy of the 15,000 that 20 included implementation of strategic plan but we just went

073with that. >> So building in those three systems >> costs about $15,000. Correct. >> Okay. The um the 184 now, do we have much left for the remainder of 20 26 fiscal? >> No, there should just be some uh final installment payments to um the auditors. Actually, I think Tyler Financial has another installment. Sorry to interrupt. >> No. Could you just go over how the raise percentage is at 5%. >> Oh, and the salaries. >> So, myself, the first one is non-bargaining. Uh you've got two bargaining units involved there. Uh the next two are in the clerical union. Um I think they're at about they're one of the last groups that were doing 3.8% >> um increases and the last one would be the treasurer who will go with the MEUI contract but being new

074is getting a step. Remember the three or four years. >> Why do we have to replace the treasur? Just what happened to the old treasurer retired? >> Oh, yes. Yeah. Um >> I just sometimes an opportunity to reset the salary a little lower at times, you know. >> I think it starts at about like 130 is the beginning. So >> yeah. Okay. It's been about two years. Yeah. >> So, are so are all of these basically contractual? >> Yes. >> Anybody else? Anything else? All right. Thank you. >> Next. Central >> central services. I guess that's me. Oh boy, my mouse is acting a little silly here. There we go. No, we're not. Hold on. Look at my notebook. My My mouse doesn't want to drive. There we go. All right. No goals in central.

075Central is actually the category that's basically as it's described will do things that are um software or materials postage things that are are um basically purchased for our departments. Uh for example, uh I think for our maintenance contracts, we've got time clocks and postage machines. We've got the central postage machine uh to everything that's going through is coming out of this department. Um office supplies. We do large purchases for all of the uh um you know copy paper or you know your basic pens and pencil type things. Um office equipment can be anywhere from a a new calculator to a new chair. Uh anything within the offices in the building. Um I'm going to go back up to fees for the um purchase services. If you can see like year to date right now it

076is at a negative. Uh what goes through this uh particular line is because we do uh I'd say a good volume well over a million dollars of our purchases through um the credit card with the bank that they give us a u a credit back for uh fees uh rather than charging fees. So they give us the incentive. So this is the incentive on the books and then what we end up during the year is having a very minimal minimal expense what that ringing is. So that's what's referred to as these e checks. Uh we also have the uh the GPS which is a small amount. The new item in here uh and this is literally a new item to to think about. We've had discussion about um our online ability to uh report a

077pothole. Uh I have a broken mailbox. Uh the street light is out. Whatever the the the item may be. And we do have it on our website. This item here called Click and Fix is Civic Plus who is the vendor that is overseeing what we're doing. uh has um kind of given us quotes on this and what that does is it makes it an app on your phone. So if you you're driving down the street and it go it'll show you the coordinates. We've done um presentation with staff. It's it's a wonderful package. It's like the place to be. Don't know if this is a year to to do that, but it's definitely something that will bring us as we talk about automation. This is that step of automation that you may want to think

078about. And it is completely web- based. It will email uh the public works director. You know, here I am driving down the street. There's a pothole. I've got my app. There's my picture. There's my GPS coordinate. And it emails to to them. Wonderful package. >> Maybe not the best idea to do while you're driving, but >> you got a red light. >> Maybe that's why I got a flat tire. I mean, what's the cost of that? >> So, so that is the increase. Uh, there is uh basically a $20,000 um expense. Um, and that >> a one time fee. >> Uh, >> or is there a monitoring >> there? There will be the initial setup. So, the following year would probably be more like 15. So, you're going to have setup and install. So, this

079will be the largest you'll see. The following years it will decrease. Well, if there's such a >> until it continues to go up. >> Well, we're going to have a lot of town back there, guys. >> Public works. >> How do you think that's going to be a a benefit, Darth? I mean, that's an a real big expense. >> How's it benefiting other than somebody calling in saying there's a pothole here, something like that? >> Well, I think it's just making it more, you know, user friendly. Like I said, I think there's people that still want to call in and and and leave the message and the person is doing that. So I think it's um maybe our society is becoming more phone appd driven and if we made that available um I think we

080would definitely see the benefit. You may getting more feedback from the public. Um so >> I'm I'm I think the theory is it would be a quicker response. That's the theory. you know, if you can just somehow on your phone click it sends to somebody and it gets there quicker and maybe a better response, but you know that >> I said this may not be the year for it. >> Yeah. May not may not be worth the 1520$20,000 right now. >> Okay. Um I just trying to make sure is it something we need or is it something we're wishing for or you know >> put it on the wish side. >> Okay. Thanks. I I definitely like the idea of increasing the technological uh the technology we use to make it easier for residents to

081participate in even those types of ways, functional ways of letting us know where there are issues we need to deal with. I fear that if we were to spend this kind of money to get into a platform, what kind of money are we going to spend to promote the platform to get into the in front of the eyeballs of our residents that this is now as effective as it is in the same way? And I only say that because there's often, you know, there is definitely a population out there that would use a a platform like this. But getting them to it, I like as a as a regular a day-to-day use, I wonder if we we might want to consider how we're going to go about communicating it and if there's a need for

082resources in order to do that properly because then maybe not. But um I I I wonder. >> And second thing, Mona, what's benefit we can get out of this? Well, I think you you already mentioned that there's there's potentially an efficiency benefit if those receiving messages from the system >> are then acting on them and in theory faster than they would with another form of communication. >> But how many people are going to use this? >> That's another main thing, you know, that's a >> By the way, would it would it be Well, you mentioned potholes as an example. Are there other examples that this would play a role? >> Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean you could it can make it as as big and robust as you needed it to be. It can connect to

083other departments. It's I mean it definitely it can be a >> like because for example you know we have some state roads that they could report that and it doesn't mean anything to us you know because >> but at least you've got set up and it say please call DOT. I mean that's kind of >> it could be you know trash you know barrels broken or >> not my road >> dropped a bunch of trash by the railroad tracks or something >> in in your research about the platform uh it's I I'm wondering it has the ability to do automated responses based on particular inputs that come in. Yes. >> So something like that where we we if we designate what roads that people ask about if they are state roads we we give them

084the best information we can. Here's the contact number at DOT. >> Ask for this person. You know that sort of Right. Okay. >> Or put a big like button or something on the front page to say report issues. Click here and it's just like a form they could submit as opposed to >> an app. I think just something >> we do have that on this the web page. You can do that on the web page. >> What we have needs to be enhanced a bit. >> Yeah, we have to expand the categories. Yeah, I think there there's certainly benefits to it in that it it creates less work for residents to to participate to, you know, point something out. It could be addressed quicker. It's just a question of do we want to spend that

085much money on it? And is it is there that big of a return on it? Well, I think what might help is Mona, I'm not sure who's in charge of doing this project, but maybe in the next five weeks we get like a short presentation sort of the ones that sort of the one that uh the staff received. Okay. >> Just so we understand it and its full potential just so we can >> kind of digest whether it's worth it this year or holding off. >> Definitely. >> Yeah. I'd like to see the efficiency on the town worker side, >> by the way, get a benefit. I mean, I I clearly want to give the residents benefits, but you mentioned wish list, but if it makes it more efficient on our side, then maybe there's

086a good reason to do it anyways, but we're 15,000 a year after it, too. So, >> Yeah. And who knows? We then to councelor Van Lulling's point, we can spend money on it, but if nobody knows it's there, I mean, >> we've got a we've got an app already. >> I mean, in theory, just having having a process here on the council to talk about it a little bit over time and and maybe involve some public comment on it and get a sense of what are the things people want to be able to do uh quickly and easily. Yeah, I think just that type of thing, like a list of what it does, too. Like, okay, potholes, we got that. Uh, mailbox. >> Yeah. >> Signs that are down, trash, >> dangerous limbs coming off

087of trees, AC near roads or sidewalks. I mean, there there are we could brainstorm and and and having that type of process possibly help to communicate >> part of part of public works, you know, bulky trash pickup and those type of things. Could that be something you can True? Anyway, but so that's good. >> Just a question about the advertising going if you don't mind. >> What was that? >> The advertising um budget in 2025 you were 4700. 2026 we went to 10,000. Why was there such a significant increase? >> Do we know? >> Not necessarily. It's an increase. I really think that we had it at 10. We're bringing it down to eight. Probably in all honesty, it could go a little bit further. We're doing a lot of any of our advertising is

088usually, you know, for the bids or legal notices. We have gotten to the point we've done a lot of our advertising. Everything else is online. So, these are those just those items that you have, you know, by law you have to put them in. have to put it in the paper for the legal ads or public hearings and some of the advertisements state. >> I think because it's consistently going around that 4,000 5,000 >> I think within reason you you could probably bring it a bit more and and live comfortably >> for for what it's worth. Uh the state legislature is looking at ways to >> change that. We may, in fact, I I don't want to get ahead of myself, but in the next couple years, we may see a change in statute that

089allows us to post almost all of this online primarily instead of having those in uh physical advertisements. So, for now, we kind of have to look at this as a real thing, but it might not be there in a little by >> Yeah. And and those charges are going up like it's like $150 to put one of those in pop. So, it's cheap. >> I do them for my stuff, too. Sir, >> we talked about some of the efficiencies working with the board of ed on possibly buying supplies and whatnot. Is do you think there would be cost savings if we went to the same vendors and for this area? >> There may be >> there's discussion for that. >> I think that's definitely a good point. I think to at least to even see

090something like the copy paper, you know, if we did that one as a as a combined I have no objection to giving that one a try. >> Yeah. Trying to think of things that we might have in in common. >> Maybe that's the way to go after it though. Just individual items that you know are larger purchases we do in a year for each side but common. >> Yeah. >> I like that. Have we always had this section in the budget? >> Oh yeah. >> The the C central supplies. Is this always been in there? Okay. So, is there anything else that we can kind of have under one point that does this ordering? You know, the only thing that I look at that kind of everybody has but is not under here is uh

091like uniforms. Like we have a lot of dep departments all have their logoed polos and all of that stuff but that's all in their own individual budgets. Is that something that we want to try to order uniformly from the same people to get economies of scale? >> Uniformly. I don't know. You kind of made me go. Yes. Yes. >> Perhaps >> uniforms. >> There may be some. I think obviously I think our largest uniform line items tends to be like the uh fire and and police. >> They might have a different that's a different thing and they and they have a stipen for for that and stuff like that. >> Yeah, we can look at the I think so departmentally though you know the the town hall departments as you know ex except for the

092police and maybe the highway guys. >> Okay. So it is in one place other than those guys. >> No, at this point it is in other places. We can >> every so everybody does their own ordering for stuff. I mean, the same as copy paper, the same as printing and postage, >> I would think. >> Yeah, >> print or whatever. >> Yeah, we tried phones and copers, but that came into a kind of just a paper nightmare. I think I was >> Yeah, rather than putting it together, it was just like too much. I almost needed a new clerical person just to look at that phone bill. So, it was and splitting it up. So um but we we centralized it into um it which you get to see in a couple of days. >>

093Yeah. >> Same long lines as that. Do you have like a dry cleaning budget for different departments or how's that work? Do they or they don't >> they don't even >> other than the police guys? >> No. Not much of a cost >> the money back. >> Stuart's like what are you talking about? I've been I've been writing that off for years. No, for the un the uniform. >> He's like, I might need that in my uh my budget. >> I I I did have a question. Um department heads when they go out for whether it's uniforms or other logoed items, things like that. Are they limited on the vendors that they're allowed to go with? Like do we have preferred vendors that they're supposed to go with or can they go out and seek

094out a cheaper alternative, etc., etc.? >> They can seek out Definitely. I actually had one department, won't say who, that actually said. I think I found a better idea and came up with a large oversized emblem, but it was a better price. >> Awesome. That that's what I would highly encourage. Just, you know, folks that are purchasing things by department, if they want to go and take a quick Google past what their initial vendor is, >> might find something. I know I have. >> They're using the best vendor. >> I know. I mean, I'm sure the way that it is now, you know, a lot of the departments have their, you know, uh, uniform budget or what they have a certain set of, you know, money for that, but um, you know, and they can

095probably just try to do as much as they can with there with finding different vendors, not going to LLB or L's end or whatever, but going to, you know, for imprint or something and but just I I don't know if it was in one place, I would think we'd be able to do economies of scale Any other questions? All right. Now, assessor >> the main event. >> Yes. You're you're batting closer >> tonight. Is that a thing? I don't know. I don't I haven't played baseball in a while. Is that clean up? Clean up. That's what it's called. Batting clean up. >> Yeah. Maybe we should have entrance music for these departments, you know, like pick their own >> just like wrestling. >> Uh for those of you who don't know um the town assessor,

096this is Stuart Topliff. He's our town assessor. >> Say hi to Stuart. >> Hi everyone. >> Um I like that uniform thing, you know, cuz I don't have any of that in my in my budget. >> You don't have a uniform. >> Yellow vest. >> That's not a uniform. >> We we have our reflective vests. We don't wear that through them very quickly because, you know, But, you know, we stand out when we're out there. Very important for us people to see us. So, >> everybody knows you, Steuart. You stand out well. >> You know, I can't I was in Home Depot the other day >> with the vest on. >> No, I was on my time and somebody approached me and I'm like, "Oh." And then they said, "Oh, I'm live in Rocky Hill.

097Can I can you answer a question for me?" I'm like, "Sure." like don't know who that was, but you know, they obviously knew who I was. So, but anyway, I'm here for my budget. Um, you know, I have these goals, you know, um, they're there. Um, but our goal is to get the grand list done and everything that needs to do with the grand list every year on time. That's with all the property inspections we do with the permits and all that. But we do more than that. You know, just today we mailed out 362 income and expense forms that are due to be mailed out no later than tomorrow to all the commercial properties in town. They will receive them within the next couple days and they have to be returned by May 1st.

098Um, at the beginning of the month, I filed the M37 with the state and the MME report. At the end of this month, I have to file the MU 13 and the M13A with the state. At the end of June, I have to file the M42, which is the homeowners tax relief program. And at the end of July, I have to file the additional veterans report. Um, these are all applications and stuff we take in throughout the year in process um to get reimbursement for the state. Um, one of my goals in there this year is to audit all our homeowner applications. Um, we used to get 100% reimburseed from the state for that. we get zero. We get zero now. Um and that's been for a number of years. And um we want to

099make sure that because it's a direct cost to the town now and not a pass through. Um we want we're making sure that everybody that's on that program is entitled to be on that program. Um so um that's one of the things we're doing now. Um overall for the budget uh my budget is for the most part contractually obligated. um between our software are wages. Um the only two things that are not contractually obligated is continue education, which um I have a a staff member who's going to classes to become certified and then um Brendan and I both have to do continuing education um which that allows us to stay on top of the latest technology so we can bring it back to the town to become more efficient and do our jobs better. Um,

100but those are the only two things in our our budget that are not contractually obligated. If you notice on um our um let's see the the state changed the law on how we mo value motor vehicles and in turn our state um assessors association changed the vendor in which we used to get the values for those motor vehicles which dropped the cost of our our technical supplies by several thousand. just by changing the software vendor. Um so you'll see that decrease in that. >> Um and uh so that's >> you you >> 10,000 foot view. >> You have a Can you explain the drop in salaries again? Maybe I missed it. >> I missed it too. >> If you don't mind, I'm going to uh >> Are you taking lessons this year? That's pretty good

101lesson. No, >> I had a really good quote earlier. >> You did? I'm going to let you have your quote, but if I can. Yeah, if you look at this um there were four positions in that department. The recommendation from uh management is to reduce one. I believe this uh new fangled software decided when one left they were going to prorrate that person's salary to everybody. So, no uh you know, no offense, but Stuart did not get 170. The uh the 140 will be his uh non-bargaining. So, uh I in this case, I'm going to say please disregard that section. The >> I'd like that. >> It's not going to happen for you. And uh the 26 27 is correct. The decrease is one uh assistant position. uh think tax collector was mentioning about the

102shared um between the uh the two departments and Stuart if you'd like to use your quote. >> Oh, okay. Um Donald Rumsfeld back in once said, "You don't go to war with the army you want, you go with the one you have." And that's what we're going to do. >> Wow. Okay. That's good. >> Did technology help you that way by the way? >> Um >> not with the quote what you're doing. >> No. Um you know we we leverage everything we do to be as efficient as possible and we do leverage technology. Like the pictometry helps us helps us out quite a bit. Like for instance um somebody in town decided to put a 400 square foot edition on their house without a permit this year. And because we were reviewing um ego view

103because it's no longer p it's eagle view um we found it and appropriately assess them. you know, zoning uses it. Um there, you know, there there's so much more that that in that particular we use quite a bit because there's things that, you know, if it's not in our normal schedule of of visiting and they don't have a permit on it, we're not going to find it. So, this finds it. >> Got it. >> And then we just see it and then we go out and say, "Yep, okay. Yeah, it's there." and and then we assess it and it more than pays for itself just for our office, never mind the other offices that use that particular Yeah. >> So yeah, just out of my own curiosity. So does that is that automated? Is it

104mostly automated? Like it notices that there's a change or do you just periodically view and you not you visually your office notices? Eagle View has a uh a product that they actually compare. For instance, um last week you may or may not have seen an airplane flying overhead fairly low. Uh they took a picture of the the town of Rocky Hill. And now they're in the process of comparing this year's photo with last year's photo. And then sometime in June or July, we'll we'll get that information and we'll be able to look at it. Like you get a list and it says, "Oh, by the way, this house is now 20% larger." >> Um, nope. We get a picture with a rectangle and it has a color. And we go picture by, well, not picture,

105but frame by frame and it'll show us where the changes are. Last year there was like 700 and something changes to properties. >> It directs you to, but basically it gives you that picture. It doesn't have you going into like a map that you scroll zoom around and nothing like like a Google maps. >> Um what it'll do is um it's already identified them. It's indexed them and all you have to do is hit the button and it'll take you to right through each change. >> Okay. >> And then all we have to do is with our with our canvas system sit there and say hey do we have that or not? And if we have it great if we don't then we add it. if we don't, >> you know, because generally if someone

106does one thing, they they're doing more than one thing, >> you know, and >> we we discover quite a bit while we're out there that are that's done without permits. And if it's if it's something more than a shed or a patio or something, we let the building department know, hey, like that addition. Hey, building department, we found this, you know, So >> Stuart on a different note um you had mentioned something about not receiving state reimbursement or the state stopped reimbursing. How does the communication flow for our state reps to advocate for that particular instance? I mean what who raises the red flag that the money stopped coming in? >> Um >> we need to get it back. >> That stopped like 2014. Um and you know >> maybe it was was it something

107that maybe it was originally reimbursed and it had a sunset? >> No. Um during Daniel Mallaloy's administration um the state of Connecticut was in a dire financial situation and the things that they decided to um and you know this is across the state. It's not Rocky Hill specific. >> Um, but it's a state of where our property tax is is they cut all these state reimburse programs to balance the state budget and didn't cut the program from the law. So, we have to still >> provide the program, but we no longer get the funding from it. I mean, can you theoretically create a list of programs that are no longer being paid that are still required? >> Um, I have that list and I've uh provided it to >> I think the last three administrations.

108I can provide it again. >> Can you do it again to give it away and then maybe you can just forward it to >> the council and we can at least follow. >> I see that too. >> Yeah, it's probably >> absolutely. you know, I'll I'll update it based on the most current information >> because we I mean, we don't hear things like this like it's it's a required program. It's a statutory requirement and then they stop paying and it's just, you know, we got to >> and yes, the public never hears about that and it's awful, >> right? >> Because when someone sits there and sorry, complains about the nine of you about the property tax, I sit there and don't complain about them. They didn't do it. these things happened and there's they

109have to sit there and go what do I do? What do I do? Do I still do this or do I do this and and the ultimate result is that the property tax has to go up because the state you know doesn't cut uh provide the funding. Um the same with pilot payment of taxes for all the stateowned property. um you know, we get less than 25% of the 45% we're supposed to get, >> right? >> You know, and if we just got the 45%, how much savings the taxpayer actually get? And the reason why the state gets away with doing that is because the law says yes, they have to pay the 45% provided that funding is allocated. >> And so they just don't allocate it. And then one final thing that I don't

110want to go down a rabbit hole, but it does have a budgetary impact down the road. Um, councelor Whan and I are on that four 490 task force. >> And one of the discussions was removing Connecticut Valley and >> the river valley >> river valley and having just a statewide. >> So if our value >> that would help I almost think they almost did that the last time around because the values are so close together now >> in Yeah. in in some respects, but and that was going to be my question. If we went to the regular state values and they got rid of the valley, how would that impact the assessments? I mean, it would be lower, right, for the 490 land owners >> um >> based on their >> based on the what

111they reverted to. Yes. And and and I would argue that um I understand that Rocky Hill may be in the Connecticut River Valley. Um but all the a large chunk of our farmland is down in the meadows. Um and it's not um you know >> it's tillable sea. in swamp. >> Yeah. >> And and it's not the prime >> right. So if >> the farmland that you have in Windsor and and East Windsor and Sufffield and all that were not >> if it was assessed at tillable A for example then right >> but if it reverted to lower rates on the states on the state evaluation >> would that be a large impact to our assessment? No. you wouldn't be concerned about. >> Um there's well a large chunk of our value our farmland is

112in the meadows. Um what's the value of the meadows when you can't build anything there, you know, you it floods every year, so we're getting ready to flood. I'm sure Mr. Whan is very familiar with that. Um you know, the flood should be coming shortly. um come you know in April and early May. Um so you know as it is there's there's really not you know our upland farmland it it wouldn't you know there's a significant difference in value but >> um overall in the grand list it won't make a big difference for us. >> So if the values went down 20% across the board for example it wouldn't be material because the >> it's so low >> right. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Yeah. When you're looking at $1,200 an acre >> Yeah. 20 10%

113is only 120 bucks is >> I I just wanted to put that out there just as a something on your radar because it is being talked about. >> Um I think they I I think the state needs to find a better way to value farmland within the state because the like here in Rocky Hill there's there's no farmland that sells as farmland. I think the I I don't even recall the last piece in town and >> that was development rights. >> Well, >> and it's >> right, but it didn't sell as farmland. We bought the development rights, right? So, we took away their ability to to develop it. I'm just talking about from one farmer to another >> for use as for farm use. um our land doesn't really you know con you know convey

114that way. So it's, you know, I think the the farmers we have, um, you know, the they're they're they have their land because they're working farmers and then and then the ones that aren't working farmers that have their land in farm, you know, PA490, you know, they're leasing to the farmers that are out there. you know, that's most almost all the meadows. Um because um you know, I think they want to truly preserve the land for it's in, you know, that's that's the intended purpose of P PA49 is is to pre preserve the land >> for the future. >> Yeah. Yeah. Part of the discussion too is is what instead of basing it on lease rates that it's it's based on >> Okay. >> API, for example. >> Yeah. I know. In the in in

115Rocky Hill, we have one farmer that absolutely leases the land at market rate. Everybody else, it's like a dollar. And even when they lease the property, I you know, because if people have parcels of land that are eligible for PA490 and they're not farmers, but they want to save, I sit there and I point to farmers and say, "Hey, call this farmer or this farmer or that farmer. Here they are. see if they'll do it. And then I sit there and say, "The contract is going to be only a dollar a year because you're getting the benefit. They're they're doing the work and you're getting the benefit." And this farmer says, "Nope, it's going to be a market rate." >> I think we Yeah, I think we're going to have that discussion in Farmland. We'll

116have you come in in a couple of months. Um because one of the things I want to talk about, I mean part of it communication to land owners in town that both have 490 and could have 490 if they wanted to, but they don't really understand the conveyance issue and stuff like that. So it's not always a good thing. it it and I always explain that upfront um what the consequences are of by of classifying it and then >> changing the use before the time frames up and it's 10 years >> I always tell them upfront so when they when it happens and it's happened recently they can't say you didn't tell me because I I make it abundantly clear look if you have any thought of changing the use within 10 years of your

117for farmland it's 10 years of owners uh ownership and for forest land it's 10 years from classification. So, I'm wondering for your budget if we do have that discussion at at farmland about more communication to land owners because a lot of them probably don't I mean some of them I'm sure don't even know about 490 or they have property in the meadows that they may s have signed something 30 years ago transferred ownership and the person new person doesn't know about it. I think there needs to be more communication to land owners and a database kept. So for your current budget, >> do you need something >> for more mailings? For example, >> because I've seen other towns >> do mailings from the assessor about 490 and kind of educational things. >> Um our postage

118budget comes out of central I think. Um so um if somebody sells a property that's in PA490 or it transfers say in probate or whatever um our office does everything we can to notifi we we absolutely notify the new owner saying that hey you know your property is being declassified and hey by the way here's an application with it to reclassify it and and we put in the appropriate statutes it says what the timeline is and all that so that they're aware of what it is and and then we try and follow up later in the year if they haven't responded. Um and you know um I I just personally think I I reviewed 113 assessor websites in the state and to see howformational they are about 490. Rocky Hill is on the bottom of

119the list. >> We'll go over it. I don't want to spend the time here, >> but the biggest thing is information. You know, when this 490 thing erupted four months ago about the new rates, >> people didn't know about 490. >> Yeah. >> Because the education just isn't there until something goes wrong. >> Yeah. Um with the the new values, you know, there are several people that have reached out to me on what was going to happen in Rocky Hill and I said, "We're not changing values until the next reevaluation, which is 2028 as scheduled." Um so it will not affect you until >> whatever the values are next. >> What we can do is um modify the uh the action items or the focus area and add that as a goal to increase communication

120for farm 49. >> I' I'd like you know I have some some letters that were sent out from other towns that I'd like to sit down with. >> Sure. I'll be happy to do that. Stewart and and like Mon or something to just go over >> because we shouldn't be at this point in time. We shouldn't be reactive >> all these changes at the state level. There's a there's going to be a lot of changes for this 490 thing. >> And I just don't think local assessors in in the state are up to the task. I really don't. From what I've seen, even farm friendly towns just not up to it. Well, one of the biggest issues we have as assessors right now with the Department of Agriculture and our state legislature, if if I

121someone applies for PA490 right now and I say, "No, you're not farming." All right? And if you're doing anything close to farming, I sit there and say, "Okay, you're farming." All right? You got But you got to do something. Can't do nothing. You know, you can't just say, "I'm far." No. But but they can appeal to the department of agriculture and say, "Hey, >> the the assessor denied me and >> not to the board of assessment appeals >> and as assessors, there are many assessors out there that are saying just apply to Department of Agriculture now. don't bother with us because if they're going to tell me because everything is a farm to them even if it's not a farm and it's like you know so if you're going to if they're going to overrule

122every assessor because of an opinion then why should the assessor do the work? >> Can they trump you? >> Yes. >> Oh yeah. >> Absolutely. two years ago the law changed and they if somebody doesn't agree with me they can go to department of agriculture and whatever they decide >> is what it is and it's like >> so we could have a slight change to central supplies >> depending on that's that's >> but I mean this is a good conversation you >> know when I first got here and 2008 reval came there was a lot of people that came in to see me a lot of people that were el that had land that were eligible for PA490 that weren't and I I encouraged them to apply and they did. So there's if there's stuff

123out there that's eligible to be PA490 um you know I just haven't seen it yet because I I try and find those people. >> I mean the whole premise for 490 is not just farmland it's just open space too. So, we were talking about it today at a task force meeting about umow land. >> Well, um if you're a farmer um and you have a farm management plan, you cannot plant as long as it's in your management plan, right? >> Because if you have a if you're a farmer, you manage your land, right? I mean, uh Mr. Strasco was very good at that. um he would move his his planting every year to a different spot. It didn't look like it moved, but he moved it because why I went out there every year and

124looked to see make sure he was planting um because everybody in the neighbor complained about him and it's like, "All right, I I I'll go out and make sure." But but he also had a management plan that said, "This is what I'm doing and this is why and and he and he followed it." Um, so just because you don't have anything growing in a particular year doesn't mean you're not farming either. You know, it just But you just got to have a plan that says, you know what, the farmers that we have, they're farming and they're tending to their property appropriately. >> Correct. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Is some of that information something that could go out when you do the personal property filing in October? Is that something maybe you can

125include in that when you send those out to save? >> Uh, we can send something out in October um in the personal property declarations to the farmers. >> Um, the non-farmers though wouldn't get it. You know, the people that have land that are not farming it. >> Okay. >> Um, wouldn't get that. Only the farmers cuts down some somewhat. But I can >> maybe, >> you know, we can come up with something, you know, because the Rocky Hill is 13.9 square miles, you know. Um, and land is precious. Um, and you know, you have competing interests, the people, the farmers that want to save, you know, preserve the land and be farmers. And then you have the people that want to grow the town's population and the and the grandless and all that. So, you

126know, and it's every town. Well, not every town because the cities don't have a lot of this issue. >> That's the suburbs. >> Just suburbs. >> Can I can I go back to a couple budget things? >> Any more farm questions first? >> I didn't mean to take questions. >> I don't disrespect. It's good. Good info. Yeah. auto values. You know, when we when they went to that new system where >> Did you get a lot of appeal requests? >> Um, no. Want to know why? >> Why? >> Because you can't. >> They did. No appeal. >> The only You can't compel condition. You can't compel mileage. You >> You only thing you can appeal is whether I have the MSRP correct. It's only thing you can do. >> And the And the MSRP, if

127they even bought it below, it doesn't matter. >> Doesn't matter. >> Oh. And so did we get a significant increase on that then? >> Um in in in um when they first passed the law, yes. And and and we I think we had an increase again this year, motor vehicles. Now um there's a bill with the legislature right now um that is was proposed um and it was proposed by OPM, the Office of Policy and Management. that um the current way is to you know it's MSRP less straight line depreciation and when it hits 20% after >> 15 years or whatever it gets to 20% it just stays there. Well now there's a bill in the legislature that says that all cars that are 20 years old or older will be $500. So that's going

128to impact us next year. That would go up. >> No, it's going to go down. >> That would go down >> because all those 20- year old cars that I have at, you know, you got to remember 20%. You know, a 2005 car, you know, how what was the MSRP? 20% of that is more than $500. It's not going to affect those people. >> Assess value, not not property. I apologize. >> No, it's assessed value, not the property tax. um you know the you know those cars that are from the 60s and 50s and you know all those it's not going to affect them. It's going to affect all those people that have you know the 90s and up. >> It's it's going to affect those. It's going to turn their assessment. >> So So

129for valuation purposes just going to be 500 times the mill rate 150 bucks. >> So like this year is what 30.24. So it'll be $15, you know, 12. >> Okay. >> Yeah. So, but just so you know, if you want to know things that happen in the legislate that impact you, there's one right there. That law, >> it's going to affect the grand. And it's nothing I can do because I voiced my opinion, you know, as a per as a taxpayer, but I also raised the concern to your as the assessor to your legislators, you know, but it's going to pass because it's buried in a bill with, you know, a whole bunch of other pages that, you know, it's uh pass this or all this stuff with this one little line in there >>

130that it's going to pass because it's one little line in there. And another little one line in there this year is those that are um not honorably discharged and permanently and totally disabled is going to pass again pass this year. So, that's going to be another burden that is going to be put on the municipality this coming year that, you know, I again voice my opinion, but it's it's buried in this in this one big overreaching bill that they're not going to take it out. >> Zach, are you taking notes? >> I'm I'm I'm hearing, but I'm also I'm mindful that these aren't passing out of trying to make it hard on municip municipalities. Um, there's a legislative intent in changing the law to the $500. >> Yep. >> Most folks who have a 20-year-old

131car that the MSRP would 20% be higher than that. They're not usually the first owner of that car. It's usually a used vehicle, somebody who maybe doesn't make all that much money and is just trying to get by. So, I just want us to keep in mind that some of these changes may have some sense to them. Um, as far as the the other aspect, you said that's it's a a if they pass it, it would create a uh a write off for folks who have full disability, >> etc. >> You're you're going to have to you're going to struggle real hard with me to say that that's a bad idea for >> Well, I'll give you I'll give you an example because we have it right here in Rocky Hill. >> Um, we have

132100% permanent and totally disabled veteran. >> All right. >> Don't do that. Yeah. Not not an individual person. >> No, it's no name. Just one person. >> It could it could get a little >> that was discharged not honorably. >> So, >> but it's farreaching. >> I don't need any more on the question. >> What's the difference in buying a used car? By the way, I got I got >> What? It's still the 20%. I mean, uh it's still taken off the MSRP whether you bought it used or new. >> Yes. But when it hits 20 years this year and >> Right. No, I get that. >> It'll be $500. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Uh grandless growth, right? Um you know, outside of the reval, right? That's our that's always a surge, right? >> Not

133always, but >> Well, generally >> not always. Generally, um certainly the last one, right? You still got some scars probably. >> Um what what do we what do we what is your goal per year as the assessor to growth in the grand list? What do you think's a healthy increase in a grand list to keep a town? >> Okay. Um >> I I we're asking question, so that's an answer. >> My my responsibility is not to grow the grand list. >> I I understand that. And >> my my responsibility is to um fair and equitably assess everybody. >> Yep. And then the grand list comes out based on um what gets developed in town >> and that is goes through your land use and your building department. >> Okay. So you you do not and

134I'm again I'm just asking an opinion like you've given a few >> that what do you you know what would you like to see again you're not going to purposely raise a grand list because you can't that would be unethical >> right >> but I guess I'm just going back to my question you know are we lagging behind our other towns our grand list are we exceeding other or leading other towns do do you own any of that information >> my Life is easier when the grand list grows. >> Yeah. >> And the higher it grows and the more it grows, the easier my life is. >> Right. Ours too, >> right? Um >> um um but you know, Rocky Hill is 13.9 square miles. There's only so much you can do here, right? >>

135And there's only so many people willing to give up their land for development, right? Um but there's a lot of change out there. people doing uh um renovations to their house. They're doing additions. They're doing all kinds of things that um that we um that we'll will capture. Um the most the most important um statistic if you want to compare one municipality to another >> is com don't compare mill rates. >> Correct. um because it's not relevant because it all based on when the revaluation was and all this. >> Yeah, they don't they're not on the same >> and even Weathersfield, you know, they did revaluation in 2024, but they're doing a phase in and you know, um so you you can't compare the mil rate because they're artificially offsetting things. Look at the effective

136tax rate. the effective tax rate. Okay, it's what percentage of the property value is paid in property tax. Right now, currently, anything below two is excellent. Uh if you get to Harford, Waterberry, New Haven, Bridgeport, they're going to be up three, three and a half%. Because they have a lot of stressors and they have a, you know, they have a lot of things going on and um it tends to be high. Sure. >> Rocky Hill's effective tax rate right now is 1.6%. >> And I monitor that monthly through our sale of assessment ratio and our mill rate. All right? So, you know, with the passage of this budget, it's going to change. But you'll find that if you look in all the neighboring towns, our effective tax rate is lower than for the most part

137all of them. >> And I would have thought that, by the way, but no. Okay. because the town is very wellrun. It's it does a lot of things that I wish my town did. You know, the efficiencies here are superb compared because just like you guys here, I have a town council and I go visit them and I say, "Hey, why aren't we doing this? Rocky Hill does this. Why can't we do this?" >> How do you know Rocky Hill does? >> No, they they know I am. But I sit there and say, you know, the one thing I can say in my 21 years here, you guys embracing technology, you guys embrace change. And as staff, we we accept those things and we try and do the best we can with the resources given.

138You know, we do because we're charged with it by our leaders and by you. Hey, how do you that's all you talked about tonight is how can you do it better, more efficiently? And that's what we get charged with every day. How can we find a better way to do it? And we look for those things all the time and but we're supported when we do those things, you know, whereas my town knows they'll sit there and they'll go, "Oh, that's changed. We can't do that." Like, so um you know, but the effective tax rate is the most important measure of because it takes into account um the current taxation of a property based on its value. Um, and our effective tax rate right now is 1.6%. And if it's anything below two, you're you're

139doing very well. And I'll tell you, just four years ago was 2.2%. So, you know, so people's taxes have gone up, yes, but their property values have gone up even more. So, if you're looking at just a statistic to really look at, um, that is that is the best statistic to look at to when you're comparing taxes to property value. Um, and everybody across the the whole country is feeling the property value increase that Rocky Hill has felt. You know, there's there's no, you know, there's changes in the market in other places and the growth in values has slowed considerably, but it's, you know, it's still there, you know. Stuart, is there is there a correlation between if the mill rate went up one then the effective tax rate goes down to like in our

140case 1.5 for example? >> No, if you if you move the mill rate at this point um up if property values go up don't go up then the effective tax rate will go up. >> Oh yeah. >> So if it was a flat mill if there was no change in the mill rate it would just stay at 1.6. No, if you if you left the the mill rate the same, the effective tax rate will go down because property values are still going up. >> Got it. Okay. >> So, um would you >> we still have to adhere to the two year ago vow. That's why >> Yeah. >> Right. That >> because you're basing that the home values on the reval, not >> for assessment and taxation, but not for the calculation of the right

141>> effective tax rate. Okay. We take the current sale price, we come up with the sale assessment ratio. So we take the sale the assessment divided by the current sale price, get a r a decimal and then we multiply it by the mill rate and it gives us the effective tax rate. >> And but I I keep track of that monthly so I know where property values are going. >> You got any idea of how much it's gone up since the last reval? >> Already >> on property values? >> Yeah. 20%. >> Yeah. That's since the last week >> the the >> three years ago >> just the um the Greater Harford Association Realtors came out with the year-over-year increase the the March's numbers. It was up 11% year-over-year. >> Yeah. >> In sale prices.

142>> Yeah. >> But again, that's only for for me what has sold >> here. Yeah. >> And I break it down by single family houses and condos. separated and then commercial property and things like that. So >> I I did have one other question and it's what's your opinion on the phased system like Weathersfield has in terms of after a reval how they step up the tax rate over time rather than having that immediate hit. Do you have an opinion on that? >> Sure. >> It's awful. >> Okay. Sure. >> You know why? >> Little more. Yeah. I'd appreciate a little bit more than just that. >> So well no fair. I just want to hear what he >> Okay. So, um, from what I understand, I think I probably have a good understanding of

143Weathersfield because, you know, they I know the guy who was the assessor there. >> It's a family business. >> Yeah, I've known him my whole life. He can't say that, but I can. >> He's considerably older. >> But anyway, the phase in was only given to those whose properties increased. So if your property stayed the same or went down because every revaluation has those properties, you know, every prop, you know, neighborhoods change at different rates. >> So the only people that benefited from the phase in are those that their value increased. >> Anybody who value stayed the same and went down did not benefit from that phase in. >> But wouldn't that only be was it properties right now or something though? With every revaluation, there's properties that go up, stay the same, and go

144down. I'm sure there might not be a lot of property that stayed the same or went down, but in this case, you know, the commercial properties, if they stayed the same, went down, you know, but it add it shifts the burden to a different type of property or different category of properties. >> Okay? >> You know, all you're doing is delaying the inevitable and then it puts a really high tax on the staff in the assessor's office to calculate it every year. >> Got it. Loud and clear. >> Okay. >> Last thing. >> Sure. >> Um >> I got all night. >> We I don't think everybody here does. Um we uh we we talked earlier with the uh tax collector about the I just the idea around capturing vehicles that aren't registered in town

145and not getting taxed appropriately >> or you know um any thoughts about that or or you have any follow-up thoughts based on >> um well they were talked recently about that. Um there are several ways. Um you know the the the company that the cities use is um is is not a very friendly >> no >> company. Um every once in a while they'll find somebody from Rocky Hills car in their municipality and they'll try and tax it for three years and I have to I do my best to help that taxpayer out to say, "Hey, no, they really belong here." Um, and sometimes I'm successful, sometimes I'm not. Um, but we talked about a plan to we we try and find all the ones. If it's registered to the state of Connecticut, it's really

146hard to find whether it belongs here or not, >> but we talked about a plan to capture that. Um but if it's registered out of state, you know, um we take note, we take a picture and we go out and visit several times and take pictures and then we send them an assessment notice. >> Yeah. Because it's easy to spot those because they have an out ofstate plate. But >> to capture somebody who's registered in Bloomfield or something would be >> um we had over a million dollars in assessment from cars registered to Kelson Row this year >> on October 1st. So, um, you know, when people when, you know, they might move from town to town, from apartment to apartment, when their registration renews, they update their address. Um, because, you know, they'll get

147pulled over by the police officer. Oh, your car is not registered. Oh, I didn't get the renewal notice. Well, it went to where you used to live, >> you know. So, we, you know, we catch them. We'll catch them that way and then they'll come in and we'll see it and then and then we'll make the adjustment. uh appropriate adjustments then um but we talked about a plan to um capture those that are res registered in Connecticut um but that not to the town of Rocky Hill that'll hopefully be less resource intensive. Um and in the in in the revenue side, there was a big decrease in personal property this year for assessment. Correct. Was it personal property that was down? >> Yeah, could be. >> Thought so. >> Um a few years ago, was

148that was that >> Yeah, that was all related to basically one. Yeah, because Eversource a few years ago had a big um investment in changing their power lines and their infrastructure here and they get depreciation. >> Okay. >> And it's 10% every year. >> MCT Pharma >> NCT Pharma also um they claim last couple years >> but they didn't last year. >> In the last two years they didn't and this year they did. >> Okay. They were not up. They were upset that they weren't getting it the previous two years, but I did everything I could to get them to file and they didn't. And the cost of that is you don't get the exemption. This year, the >> the person came in and saw me personally instead of me trying to call Chicago. >>

149The people here take a piece of paper and they just set it aside and didn't get to Chicago. So, >> well, that that really hurts our personal property assessments as well. >> Anybody else? Anything? All right. >> Thank you, Stuart. Then, anybody have any other final things before we journ this evening? Motion >> to second. >> All in favor? I Thank you.