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Torrington boards authorize mayor to negotiate tax‑collector contract extension tied to vacant parcels
Summary
A joint meeting of the Board of Finance and City Council authorized the mayor to draft a new contract reflecting a term‑sheet that would extend the tax‑collector agreement through May 11, 2031, keep the commission at 0.35% and transfer multiple tax‑sale parcels to the city as consideration; the boards voted unanimously to move the term sheet to a formal contract for December review.
The Board of Finance and City Council on Nov. 17 authorized the mayor to negotiate and draft a formal contract based on a non‑binding term sheet presented by corporation counsel and the tax collector's attorney that would extend the city's tax‑collector services agreement to May 11, 2031.
Corporation Counsel and attorney Coppola outlined the proposal, which would incorporate prior amendments, lock the tax‑collector commission at 0.35%, provide for a new lease schedule increasing monthly rent to $700 and then $1,400 in mid‑2027, and transfer multiple tax‑sale parcels to the city as part of the consideration. Corporation Counsel said the many prior amendments made it “difficult to go back and forth,” so a new consolidated agreement is preferable.
Tax Collector Lana Gosling reported on recent activity in the office, saying the city offered 22 vacant parcels for sale this year: 13 were acquired by the municipality and several others sold; she also reported multi‑year collections averaging about 101.24% over the included period. "Of the 13, 8 have already transferred to the city in July," Gosling said, and the remaining parcels carry redemption periods that remain a practical concern for transfer timing.
Board members pressed on two points: the proposed long term (to 2031), and the mechanics and legal effect of transferring tax‑sale parcels that remain subject to statutory redemption windows. Several members noted the contract currently expires in 2027 and observed state law commonly uses four‑year terms for tax collection, which framed the longer extension as a continuation of an existing contract rather than an unprecedented new six‑year commitment.
The joint boards voted unanimously to accept the term‑sheet outline and authorize the mayor to work with corporation counsel and attorney Coppola to prepare a formal agreement to return to the joint boards in December for final approval. The vote does not itself execute a contract; it authorizes the mayor to negotiate and present a draft based on the term sheet.
