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Towns press PURA on ‘pilot’ payments and potential loss of property tax revenue
Summary
Municipal leaders at the PURA hearing warned that payments in lieu of taxes (pilots) written into the enabling legislation would not fully replace current property tax revenue and expressed concern that state or legislative changes in future could reduce those payments.
Municipal officials from New Canaan, Ridgefield and other Aquarion communities flagged payments in lieu of taxes (pilots) as another significant component of the acquisition's fiscal impact on towns.
Lede: Witnesses said AWA’s planned pilot would initially match Aquarion’s current tax payments but expressed concern that the pilot could be changed by future legislation or re‑interpretation, and that the pilot’s rules exclude taxes on future expansions, potentially reducing long‑term municipal revenue.
Nut Graf: Town officials said the statutory pilot guaranteed in the enabling legislation is not equivalent to current property tax treatment for expansions or revaluations. They urged clarity on how the pilot will be calculated, how it will be applied if a property changes value, and whether municipalities…
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