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Avon council rejects rollback of motor-vehicle depreciation schedule; vote fails 2-3
Summary
The Town Council voted 2-3 against reducing the motor-vehicle depreciation schedule from the adopted local-option rates (90% for newest vehicles) to 85%, a change supporters said would ease costs for some taxpayers but opponents said would shift the burden to homeowners and reduce town revenue.
The Avon Town Council voted 2-3 on Jan. 8 to reject a motion to reduce the town's motor-vehicle depreciation schedule from the locally adopted modified levels back toward the statutory 85% top-tier rate.
The motion, moved by Council member Bratton and seconded by Chairman Dan Polhamus, would have decreased the depreciation percentage used to assess vehicles on the 2025 Grand List from the adopted modified schedule (top-tier 90% of MSRP) to 85% for the newest vehicles. Council members Ausiello and Bratton voted in favor; Chairman Polhamus, Council member Weber, and Council member Barthel opposed, so the motion failed.
Town Assessor Harry DerAsadourian and Director of Finance Tom DiStasio told the Council the local option adopted in 2025 increased net vehicle assessment under the modified schedule and that reverting to the statutory percentage would reduce the 2025 Net Grand List and lower FY 26/27 motor-vehicle tax revenue. DiStasio's materials showed an estimated revenue swing of roughly $607,311 when comparing the two options across the Grand List sample they presented.
Council member Weber defended the prior decision to adopt the modified schedule, arguing it produced a more equitable tax shift between vehicle owners and homeowners. "Moving to 85% shifts the burden more to homeowners than car owners," he said.
Council member Bratton, who moved the change, said she had received taxpayer complaints and has changed her view from the previous vote: "100% of the feedback I received was that they were upset with the decision to set it at 90%." Chairman Polhamus said there was no clear right answer and cited neighboring towns that had chosen different options.
There was discussion of administrative costs and public confusion from reversing a decision made during last year's budget process; DerAsadourian noted material and labor costs associated with changing assessments and cited complications for high-end vehicles whose market prices shift rapidly.
No formal alternative was adopted; the town will keep the modified schedule already applied to the 2025 Grand List. The vote leaves the town's revenue projection based on the previously adopted modified schedule in place.
