Wilton’s Board of Selectmen is holding a public hearing this evening, Monday, Aug. 5, for public input on proposed amendments to two town ordinances — one on the tax code and another covering the Fire Commission.
The hearing will take place at the beginning of the BOS meeting, at 7 p.m., and public comment can be made in person at Comstock Community Center, Rm. 31 (180 School Rd.) or via Zoom and using the raise hand function when asked by officials.
Taxation
The proposed change to Wilton’s Code of Ordinance Chapter 26A regarding “Taxation,” includes three ordinances that make clarifications pursuant to CT state law. They include:
- Tax relief credit from the town terminates upon death of the owner or sale of the property (§ 317-5): “If any person entitled to tax relief dies or sells the real property on which the tax credit is granted, no additional tax credit shall be allowed for his or her interest in the property for any portion of any fiscal year remaining after the date of death or sale, or for any fiscal year commencing after said date of death or sale.”
- Tax bills totaling $10 or less are waived by the Town (§ 317-18): “Commencing with fiscal year 2024-2025 and continuing thereafter, all property taxes from each annual grand list due in the amount of $10 or less shall be waived in accordance with the provisions provided in CT General Statues § 12-144c.
- Excess tax payments of $5 or less are retained by the Town and not subject to refund. (§ 317-19) Tax payments made to the Town of Wilton in excess of the amount due, whether for principal, legal interest, penalty, or fees, shall be retained by the Tax Collector where the amount of the excess payment is less than $5. Where the amount of excess payment is $5 or greater, the procedure for refunds outlined in CT General Statutes § 12-129, as amended, shall be followed.
Fire Commission
Wilton Fire Chief Jim Blanchfield has requested a modification to Wilton’s Code of Ordinance Chapter 14A Section 12 (“Appointment by Fire Commission”) with regard to operational responsibility for the positions of Fire Marshal and Assistant Fire Marshal.
Currently, both positions are appointed by the Wilton Fire Commission, and under the Code’s current language, the Fire Commission retains “operational authority” over both employees. As a result, the town’s Fire Chief inadvertently does not have the authority to direct the actions of these employees, issue work assignments, enforce the provisions of the Town’s employee manual and/or the collective bargaining agreements, etc.
A modification has been proposed that continues to allow the Fire Commission to appoint those positions, but once appointed, both marshals would report to the Fire Chief. The proposed modification would read: “The Fire Marshal, and such deputy Fire Marshals as the Commission may deem necessary, shall be appointed by the Commission, but shall be administratively and operationally responsible to the Chief of the Wilton Fire Department.”