STRATFORD — As higher tax bills hit mailboxes, town officials are still seeking ways to soften the blow last year’s property revaluation had on home values.
The state-mandated update of what residences and businesses are worth resulted in good news — many Stratford homes' values rose as much as 80% — but also a widespread property tax spike.
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In mid-May the Democratic-controlled Town Council sought to provide some initial relief by approving a 2026-27 municipal budget that phases in the new values over three years, starting at 33%.
But other steps are also being taken, including a formal study of the state’s new Homestead Act Exemption, which, if adopted locally, would allow the town to artificially deflate real estate values in upcoming tax years for owner-occupied buildings.
Most recently, members of the council’s ordinance committee in a unanimous bipartisan vote last week revised the income levels for Stratford’s senior and disabled tax relief program.
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For example, currently individuals or married couples earning between zero and $16,100 can qualify for, respectively, a maximum $400 and $500 off of their bills. Under the new guidelines, which head to the full council July 13, $16,100 increases to $23,300, resulting in other such adjustments to the income scale.
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Then, rather than capping the program at earnings over $46,900, with credits of $150 for individuals and $250 for couples, that maximum income level rises to $70,000.
“So that will bring some additional relief to those who need it the most,” Democratic Mayor David Chess said.
“We understood what was happening, thought about our senior population on fixed incomes,” agreed Council President Anthony Afriyie.
But there is a catch.
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While the council is just now seeking to implement the changes, the deadline to apply for the expanded relief program was May 15. And that process cannot, per state statute, be reopened, leaving anyone who missed it waiting until next spring.
Meanwhile, since tax bills were being mailed out last week, those forms also do not reflect such changes. According to the Chess administration, residents should pay what they are currently being charged for July to avoid interest that will start to accrue after Aug. 3.
Then if and when the full council authorizes the expanded senior and disabled tax relief, those reductions will be taken off of January’s tax bills. Or if the tax bill is paid in full in July, the appropriate refunds would be issued.
Complicating matters further, even if the council votes July 13, technically there is a 30-day waiting period before the changes take effect.
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Private lawyer Richard Buturla, who serves as town attorney, advised the ordinance committee there may be a workaround.
“Perhaps we can turn this into something that fits in the definition of 'emergency,'” he told members. “Just get it to the council on the 13th.”
Meanwhile, a couple other measures to save homeowners money are also underway.
At Chess' recommendation, in early June Stratford’s Water Pollution Control Authority convened a special meeting to lower the residential sewer use rate and increase that for commercial users. The town’s commercial properties did not experience the same jump in real estate values.
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So, according to the meeting minutes, the new household cost is $469.39, down from $569.39, while commercial entities will be charged $9.77 per 100 cubic feet of water rather than the previous $7.13.
Also in June, the council voted to formally study whether to employ another property tax relief option, the Homestead Act Exemption, and authorized the tax assessor to investigate how many households could participate.
Chess in mid-April announced he wanted the council to take advantage of the Homestead Act, new legislation so far only tried in New Milford that allows a municipality to artificially deflate property values as much as 35% to lower tax bills.
But shortly afterward, Chess admitted there was not enough time to move forward and process all of the paperwork necessary ahead of July’s tax bills, which is when the administration pivoted to instead adopting the revaluation phase-in.
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Per meeting minutes, the council June 8 instructed its finance committee to conduct a study of the Homestead Act, while simultaneously asking the tax assessor to issue “attestation forms.” Chess said that will allow the town to gauge what residents will be eligible ahead of next year’s July tax season.
“The process, logistics, is significant,” he said of implementing the Homestead option. “I don’t want to be in a position where our tax assessor’s office is under undue stress.”
July 7, 2026|Updated July 7, 2026 10:52 a.m.