Veterans representative urges town to adopt state tax-exemption option; board asks attorney to draft ordinance

Bob Mora, the Veterans Commission representative, told the Board of Selectmen that recent state legislation permits municipalities to adopt an exemption that would forgive property taxes for qualifying fully disabled veterans and, under a separate act, the surviving spouses of those killed in the line of duty. "It truly is a godsend for them," Mora said, urging Bolton to adopt the municipal option so affected families could remain in the community.

Mora said the statute is funded by the state for qualifying cases but that the state left adoption to each municipality. He described the fiscal impact to Bolton as "minuscule" and cited examples of how the exemption could prevent families who lost a primary earner from being displaced. Board members asked technical questions about implementation, including whether the exemption should be limited to the median assessed value of residential dwellings in the grand list year (a cited municipal option under Connecticut General Statutes) or apply to the full assessed value; the assessor's memo referenced statute citations and municipal options for limiting the exemption.

Selectmen discussed process: one member recommended an ordinance be drafted so the assessor has clear protocol and the town can hold the required public hearing. The board did not take a formal vote to adopt the exemption at the meeting but unanimously agreed to ask the town attorney to draft an ordinance and then hold a public hearing under the charter for the board's review.