stamford times - Committee gives the green light for higher tax breaks on hybrids
I deserve a tax break because I’m better than you are.
stamford times - Committee gives the green light for higher tax breaks on hybrids By BEN LEVINE
STAMFORD — The city would like to see drivers thinking green the next time they go to purchase a car.
After a public hearing Monday night, the legislative and rules committee doubled the amount of property tax residents can exempt on the purchase of fuel efficient and hybrid vehicles that get at least 40 miles to the gallon.
Under the proposed ordinance, residents can exempt the first $4,000 on the purchase of a qualifying vehicle on or after May 31 of this year.
Under Connecticut statute, residents are exempt from the state’s 6 percent sales tax on the purchase of hybrid vehicles that get at least 40 miles to the gallon.
The ordinance will be voted on by the full board at its regular meeting on May 5, and if passed for publication, another public hearing will be scheduled for next month before it is put to a final vote for adoption.
Ann Schepes, a Glenbrook resident who has owned a Toyota Prius since 2002, said she felt the ordinance should be expanded to all owners of hybrid vehicles regardless of when they were purchased.
“It doesn’t seem fair to give the exemption only to those who purchase vehicles from here on out,” Schepes said.
Eileen Heaphy, D-8, has said she supports making the exemption available for all owners of qualifying vehicles, but her motion to expand the ordinance was defeated in committee.
“My belief is that we want to encourage people to buy hybrid cars moving forward, not to offer a retro-active benefit,” said Arthur Layton, R-17.
After the brief public hearing, the board decided to increase the exemption from $2,000 to $4,000 in order to give residents more of an incentive to purchase hybrid vehicles.
“I felt the original ordinance didn’t go far enough,” said Heaphy who proposed amending the ordinance. “(The $2,000 exemption) gives you a piddling savings that is not going to inspire anybody.”
With the increased exemption, if residents purchase a qualifying vehicle such as a Toyota Prius or Honda Civic Hybrid, they stand to save about $135 on property taxes.
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