PERU – Selectman Bill Hine II said he and the governor believe the personal property tax is unfair and should be dropped.
Selectman Kathy Hussey said that town records have not been kept up for several years, resulting in some citizens being taxed for equipment they no longer own and others not being taxed at all.
The tax raises about $20,000 a year in Peru, according to Hine, and eliminating it would increase the tax rate by about 0.2 mills. To fairly apply this tax would cost more than it is worth in aggravation to the citizens and expense to the town, he added.
Because of the complexity of the forms, variety of items covered and the frequency with which they are bought and sold, it would require the services of a professional appraiser each year and cause significant inconvenience for citizens, according to Hussey.
The selectmen will study the matter further before making a decision on dropping the tax.
Hartford Code Enforcement Officer John Plumley was hired to also serve as Peru’s code enforcement officer. Plumley will primarily be involved with shoreline zoning.
Daniel Carrier was hired as the animal control officer.
The Town Office will closed Monday, Dec. 26, and Tuesday, Dec. 27, for the Christmas holidays. The office will be open as usual on the Monday after New Years.
Comments are no longer available on this story