they really should have an email listserv or a mailing on this. very important stuff.

A friend mentioned this to me a day or two ago and asked me to check on it. Compare the valuation and the “assessment date” on your real estate tax bill and your fire tax bill. Are they the same? I did this and the assessment per the fire tax bill is significantly higher. Why? The assessment used for the real estate tax bill is based on the value at 12/31/2011 and the assessment used for the file tax bill is based on the value at 12/31/2009 – two years ago when the assessed values were higher. Now look at the letter that accompanied your fire tax bill from the “special master” from the law firm of Chace Ruttenberg and Friedman, first sentence of the third paragraph. It says they used “last year’s approved assessment”. Am I confused or was last year’s assessment 12/31/2010 for real estate tax purposes?

This is clearly a misrepresentation of how our taxes were calculated. If the special master can’t clearly represent how our tax bills were calculated in his formal communication to the taxpayers, how can we rely on the budget he will be presenting on Monday night for a vote?

Thank you Quidnick Crusader, however, the letter should have made this clear. Also, my fire tax bill was never changed to reflect the revaluation. The fire district has been charging me tax based on the same valuation for the past 6 years without adjustment for the revaluation. There are other residents with this problem. The valuation on our real estate tax bill and our fire tax bill hasn't been the same for the past 2 years. This is a problem.

Sandy D, Have you taxes gone up in two years?

Sandy D, you haven't been to any of the meetings that have been taking place over the last couple of years. I know this because if you had you would've known that the taxes had been frozen because the proposed budgets haven't passed and they have been sending out the exact same bill each year until we can come to some kind of resolution and either move forward or disband(my vote). Anyway, just so you feel a little better, the whole assessment/tax rate is just a numbers game. The district needs a certain dollar amount to run. ie High assessment low rate, Low assessment higher rate.

Eye in the sky and just saying. My taxes haven't gone up OR DOWN. I am we'll versed in the game that is played with the rate versus valuation and achieving a certain revenue. The bottom line is that due diligence hasn't been exercised or we wouldn't be in this situation if those entrusted with our tax dollars had done their due diligence before putting their name to the budget. The answer is still mismanagement!

Just saying if they disband who is going to respond to fire and EMS calls? Hopkins Hill or Anthony?? Better get off the pipe if you believe that!

Eye in the sky, I have no doubt that the other districts will help out if we need it. If you want to try to scare everyone into thinking they won't, have at it. You don't scare me or anyone with a brain. Get rid of the old Central and start again with honest people. We need five new board members to fully replace the original misfits, a new chief to give the taxpayers a chance.(This chief has tight union ties.) and we need a chance to keep all the great firemen in our district and get rid of the bullies! Especially the ones who come to the meetings threatening taxpayers who are just trying to keep the spending in check. Any man married to a woman who would actually say to a person "I'm going to tell my husband NOT to resuscitate you if you need it." has bad judgment and doesn't belong on our fire dept. I'm just saying...

I live in Western, why should my taxes bail out your incompetent board????? Elect some qualifies people to run your budget.

RS, no where did I say to merge Central with another fire district. Where did you even come up with that? eye in the sky-why does everyone who doesn't agree with you have to be an Assalone Kool-Aid drinker? That's like me assuming you must be one of the bully fire fighters?

Oh man. eye in the sky, why don't you try to have an intelligent conversation instead of just one filled with hatred. You make me laugh. Not anywhere in my posts did I say Firefighters all over Coventry bully people. I did say there are some and if you go to the Central Coventry meeting you will see them. I don't even know Assalone, but even if I did,unlike you, I have my own mind. I've been to the meetings, I've seen the bullying first hand and I really don't care that your dad was a firefighter. I have a brother that was one in Coventry year ago. So don't use that line of crap to justify your idiotic comments. People can see right through them. Use your brain and say something worth reading because I'm not into a pissing match.

Nothing for nothing your tax bills are going up and there is NOTHING you can say or do about it. The only thing we can hope for is the STATE POLICE investagation can prove someone Guilty of Misappropation.Then maybe someone will go to jail because we will never recover the money missing and that's the TRUTH.

TO GEM101 There is something we can do Its vote no for the increase and damand that the town combine fire districts. No one will go to Jail ,because everyone had their hands in the pot.Why does CCFD charge $600.00 for Amblance service,my taxes should be covering that. This town can not bleed its residents any longer,Its time for change!

Tulia, I agree that the only thing we can do is vote no to an increase, but you are wrong as far as the town goes. The town has absolutely nothing to do with the fire districts and how they are run. Each district has its' own Charter, board of directors, tax collector, treasurer etc. The town can't just decide to combine without going through many legal hoops. Besides, do you really think anyone in another district is going to take us without a fight. I wouldn't, would you? Hopefully Gem101 is wrong about the investigation. I hope the ex-Chief Seltzer and the previous board are held accountable for the destruction they have caused. Notice the ex chief is the ex chief? Just in time wouldn't you say?

Realistic voter, that was good. LOL No not John Assalone. Just a realistic voter like you who is sick of the haters trying to cloud the real issue. Making it all about us against them instead of everyone working together to find a solution. Yes, I do mean the treasurer as well. Get everyone who put the district in the situation it is in.
Even if people can't stand Assalone, even if his reasons are different than ours, at least he has the resources to get the word out. True?

RS, I don't blame you for not wanting to carry another fire district but for a limited amount of time it would be mutual aid. Western wouldn't carry the whole load, there are other districts that have stepped up to say they would help for a time. I'm sure if Western had an issue you would appreciate the help. Don't take anger for Central out on taxpayers who have been snowed for so long and are finally digging out and trying to fix it.

I for one will be voting for liquidation unless the special master dissolves the board tonight. No chance am I going to give even more money to the ones who already destroyed this district.

The question of Board overturn is irrelevant. Should the budget be passed tonight, Special Master Land or other court appointee, will continue to be in control of the fire district finances. This current board is there in name only, has no say nor will it in the foreseeable future. The keys won't be handed back completely for at least two years, during which the terms of all current board members will have expired. And I believe going foward, the district would also be subject court and/or Sate oversight to ensure it is adhering to it's proper fiduciary responsibilities.

As far as the other districts being able to cover the Central district should it be closed, that is logistically impossible. Look at Mr. Land's presentation from the December meeting here: http://www.sjcorio.com/matters/current_matters/ccfd/documents_index.htm
Remember, each respective district equips and staffs itself based on the needs of it's own, indigenous district. There is a reason that Central staffs five stations, with a minimum of two people per station: need, plain and simple. It is also important to consider, that besides covering the calls within it's own district, the surrounding districts also depend on Central's equipment and manpower on a daily basis, whether they want to admit it or not. So this has profound effects on ALL of Coventry.

Using information from Mr. Land's Tax Rate Summary found at the link in my last post, I did a deeper analysis of the impact the proposed tax rate would have a median priced home. The median home sales price in Coventry is $157,000, as shown here: http://www.trulia.com/real_estate/02816-Coventry/
Using that number as a basis, the proposed tax rate breaks down as follows:
**to get the old assessment, you take the current, add 21.8%, then reduce that by the 17.8% average devaluation rate as reported in the summary. Amounts were rounded to the nearest thousand for simplicity**
Pre-Revaluation Assessment: $191,000
CCFD Tax @ $1.82 per thousand = $348
Current Assessment: $157,000
CCFD Tax Proposed @ $3.15 per thousand= $495
$495 (updated assessment @proposed rate)
subtracted by:
$348 (old assessment @old rate)
Equals: $147 increase in bill for year. Further broken down by quarter,month,week and daily increase:
$36.75 increase per quarter ($147/4= $36.75)
$12.25 increase per month ($147/12= $12.25)
$2.83 increase per week ($147/52=$2.83)
$0.40 increase per day ($147/365= $0.40)
I'm the last one to ever advocate for a tax increase of any type, but when I consider that it will cost 40 cents per day more to keep the current level of protection for my family and my home, it's a bitter pill, but I can swallow it.

That's right QuidnickCrusader, just keep rewarding bad budget practices. I was part of the old Central, our taxes were $1.35 and Chief Seltzer assured us that with the merge they would go down. They have only gone through the roof. If you really believe that $147 this year will be the end of it you are sooooo sadly mistaken. Your logic sounds good, but once you really think about it, it makes no sense.