Guess Who’s Paying the Bills in Orange?

By Dan Fitzmaurice, First Selectman Candidate

I take a lot of pride in our home here in Orange. When we bought it, we knew it needed work. But it was in our price range and in a great neighborhood. Since then, we’ve put in not just money, but time, care, and love to make it our home.

That’s why this year’s property tax bill was such a shock. It’s not just how much it went up—it’s the fact that homeowners like us are being asked to cover more and more of what the town needs to pay for.

So, I looked into it.

During Orange’s recent revaluation, which is when the town updates how much homes and buildings are worth, property values jumped. Our home’s value went up 43%.

But many commercial properties didn’t change much. The plaza on the Post Road where Party City used to be? Its value only went up 5%. The town did lower the mill rate, which is how much tax you pay for every $1,000 of your property’s assessed value. But since that plaza’s value barely changed, the owner will actually pay less in taxes this year. Meanwhile, families like ours are paying more. So, guess who’s paying the bills in Orange? Homeowners—and we’re paying more than our fair share.

There is a better way. The Firelight Plaza is a great example. After the owners fixed it up, its value went up 235%. Now they’re paying more in taxes, which helps take pressure off homeowners.

Town Hall should aggressively support this kind of smart growth—improving our commercial areas, helping local farms and shops grow, and going after grant money. Other towns are doing it. We can too.

Families and retirees shouldn’t have to keep covering more and more of the town’s expenses, especially right now. With proactive leadership for economic development in Town Hall, we can protect what we love about Orange and build a better future for everyone.

Thank you,

Dan Fitzmaurice

This letter to the editor originally appeared in the Milford-Orange Times, July 10, page 5.