Enfield's grand list grows by $33M

Mar. 3—ENFIELD — The town's grand list of taxable property grew by $33 million, or 0.89%, in 2022, mostly due to an increase in real estate.

The grand list represents all net taxable property located within Enfield as of Oct. 1, including motor vehicles, personal property, and real estate.

TOP 10 ASSESSMENTS

Eversource: $46,061,730

Mayfield Place LLC: $40,474,680

PPP WE 113 North Maple Street LLC: $36,561,600

Nutmeg Solar LLC: $26,167,460

Paramount Commons at Enfield LLC: $25,188,400

MassMutual Life Insurance Co.: $22,658,000

Eppendorf Holding LLC: $20,905,160

Northland's Bigelow Commons LLC: $20,289,180

Freshwater MZL LLC: $19,913,200

Eversource, Thompsonville Fire District: $19,740,740

Municipalities use the grand list as officials make their budget calculations to determine the revenue they would receive in the form of taxes for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Enfield's 2022 grand list totaled $3,732,728,220, compared to $3,699,642,273 in 2021, Todd Helems, supervisor of assessment and revenue collection, said. Helems signed the grand list Feb. 24.

The town had an extension to file its grand list past the Jan. 31 date because of staff shortages in the assessor's department. Five people were working in the office a few years ago but there are two and a half positions now, Helems said.

Real estate valuations account for the largest increase at $27,801,230, or 0.92%, for a total of $3,035,369,470. Several projects contributed to the increase, Helems said, including Winstanley Enterprises' 500,000-square-foot warehouse on North Maple Street, which is almost complete.

Motor vehicle assessments totaled $399,443,690, an increase of $13,883,487, or 3.6%, with 517 additional motor vehicles in the town.

Personal property assessments decreased in 2022 by $8,598,770 or 2.8%, for a total of $297,915,060.

Personal property, which is typically business equipment, often decreases every year unless businesses are buying new equipment or new businesses are moving to town, Helems said.

In general, Helems said, there's a lot of commercial interest in the town, with new projects such as the proposed All Sports Village that could affect future grand lists.

Town Manager Ellen Zoppo-Sassu said she was very happy to see the growth in the grand list, as it has been a difficult couple of years with the pandemic, the revaluation shift, and other economic factors.

The top taxpayers are a mix of manufacturing, commercial, retail, and utility accounts, which she said she likes.

"The Town Council is focused on ensuring that there continues to be a diverse base so as not to rely too heavily on one segment," Zoppo-Sassu said. "Challenges as to what to do with the MassMutual office complex, the Enfield Square Mall, planning ahead with commercial landlords to ensure that spaces are aggressively marketed and filled, and obviously rebuilding the downtown Thompsonville core, are key priorities."

Another key indicator of growth is the entrepreneurial component of small to mid-size businesses opening and expanding in Enfield, she said, and the Town Council allocated a portion of its American Rescue Plan Act funds to both nonprofits and small businesses.

In addition, she said, the town has applied for state grants to access additional resources, which would be directed to small-business growth.

Zoppo-Sassu said the final piece will be to balance the needs of the community as outlined by the proposed Plan of Conservation and Development, and the need to grow the grand list to support the level of municipal services that Enfield provides.

She said the Town Council is also in the process of developing a strategy to communicate with new residents about the state laws requiring out-of-state residents to register their vehicles in their new town within 90 days.

The grand list is still subject to hearings of the Board of Assessment Appeals and the result of any outstanding litigation.

People who believe their assessments are incorrect can file an appeal to the Board of Assessment Appeals. Information is available on the town's website or at the assessor's office.

For more coverage of Somers and Enfield, follow Susan Danseyar on Twitter: @susandanseyar, Facebook: Susan Danseyar, reporter.