Proposal to eliminate car taxes

HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) - There is a push at the state capitol to eliminate the property tax you have to pay on your car.

Under Connecticut Law, motor vehicles are subject to a local property tax, and each municipality has its own motor vehicle mill rate.

A mill is equal to one dollar of tax for each 1,000 dollars of assessment. In Hartford, the mill rate for cars is 32.46.

The new legislation, proposed by the Planning and Development Committee, would eliminate car taxes.

A public hearing on the proposed legislation was held on Wednesday, and the reaction to this legislation was mixed.

Alberta Williams has lived in Hartford all her life.

She said she would love to seethe property tax on cars eliminated in the state.

“That would be great. Help us out a little bit. Help us out just a little bit. That would be nice”, Williams said.

She and her husband drive a 2017 Hyundai Sonata and pay about 400 dollars in car property taxes each year.

“It’s hard, got tuition, other bills but we make it happen. Make it happen”, Williams said.

But not everyone is on board with the bill since towns depend on property tax revenue to fund services.

Betsy Gara, the executive director of CT Council of Small Towns said, “We are concerned that this is a significant amount of funding that towns rely on almost a billion dollars, even with the 32.46 mill rate cap on motor vehicles.”

The lawmaker who introduced the legislation said they will find other ways to make up for it.

Conversations will continue within the committee before the legislation can progress further.

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