Simsbury Nixes Tax Breaks For Horse Owners
SIMSBURY, CT — If you own horses in Simsbury and they are not on a farm, you still must pay taxes on your equine companions.
That’s because the Simsbury Board of Selectmen earlier this month nixed a proposal to no longer tax non-farm horses and ponies. The vote was two “yes” votes and three “no” votes, resulting in the motion being defeated.
Voting “yes” to the horse tax abatement were selectmen Kevin Beal and Curtis Looney.
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Voting “no” were Simsbury First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis, Deputy First Selectman Steven Antonio, and Selectwoman Diana Yeisley.
According to the draft ordinance, the new regulation would have not only waived taxes on horses, but it would have waived late fees for horse owners subject to taxation (where the horses are being used in the operation of a farm.)
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Two residents spoke at a public hearing on the proposal Sept. 9, both in support of the abatement measure.
Farms Village Road resident Don Teller said he supported the abatement, saying horses are a critical part of any farm and he has felt they always deserved “special status.”
Meanwhile, resident Lori Boyko said she also agreed with the abatement.
Boyko questioned how the town enforces assessments on horses, saying it incentivizes horse owners — who must abide by the honor system — to submit incorrect information on horse assessments.
“How would we hold people accountable?” asked Boyko.
Selectmen nixed the horse tax abatement, seemingly, out of principal as the measure would have only impacted about $2,000 in tax revenue locally.
“Talking to the town manager, this is about $2,000. And I don’t know if we have someone with the skill to measure what horses are worth more than others,” said Looney, who supported the abatement.
Antonio, who opposed the abatement, said he had a different take.
He said, while the revenue hit would be relatively small, the principle of doling out a tax break is difficult for a community looking to rein in spending.
“We don’t have money to just follow every cause. It’s yet another subtraction,” Antonio said,
“If we keep cutting little nickels and dimes, they’re going to have to be made up. I know it’s only $2,000, but then everybody is going to be kicking in 75 cents per household.”
“To my knowledge, and I may be missing something, nobody has asked for this,” Antonio said.
Simsbury Tax Assessor Francine Beland said gathering data on horse assessments is more work for town staff.
“It’s an old statute that’s out there. They leave it up to the towns to adopt an ordinance that you can waive. You can exempt horses,” she said.
Ultimately, selectmen agreed horses should be taxed as normal.
For the minutes of the Sept. 9 Simsbury Board of Selectmen meeting, click on this link.
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