Name: Campaign lets homeowners calculate tax savings if Yale, Yale New Haven paid on untaxed properties
Brand: nhregister.com
SKU: nhregister-com-7
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

Campaign lets homeowners calculate tax savings if Yale, Yale New Haven paid on untaxed properties

preview

NEW HAVEN — Voters going to the polls Tuesday were greeted with a large sign telling them how much they could save in property taxes if Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital were not tax-exempt.The move by New Haven Rising and the Yale unions is part of a campaign to have the university and hospital contribute more to the city.The unions and New Haven Rising said in a press release that the two institutions are getting a “tax break” of $157,722,490, up from $146,079,896 last year because of the increase in the city’s property tax rate, 43.88 mills this year, and the increase in the assessed value of tax-exempt properties owned by Yale and the hospital.The amount represents the amount Yale and the hospital would pay in taxes under the current tax rate, minus their voluntary payments to the city and payments in lieu of taxes from the state, according to a press release. The tax-exempt properties total $4.3 billion in assessed value, a union spokesman said.The groups also launched a website, , with a calculator that will tell how much a homeowner would save if Yale and the hospital paid the same in taxes.The Rev. Scott Marks, director of New Haven Rising, said in the release, “This is just another way to understand the heavy burden we all pay to give Yale a tax break. Our city has a decades-long map of segregated development, and the only way we can change the map is by partnering with the most powerful institutions in our city. I was encouraged to see leaders at Yale release a statement asserting Black Lives Matter, but those statements only have meaning when leaders also recognize their responsibility in providing opportunities for Black and Brown lives here in New Haven.”Both Yale and Yale New Haven Hospital are tax-exempt on properties used for academic, medical or research purposes. Yale pays property taxes on its non-academic properties, including the retail stores it owns downtown.More NewsLaurie Kennington, president of Local 34, which represents clerical and technical workers at Yale, said, “We are proud to stand with the community by insisting that Yale University pays its fair share. Yale could transform New Haven by stepping up as we are reeling from the COVID-19 crisis.”Vincent Petrini, spokesman for Yale New Haven Health, said in a statement, “Yale New Haven Health continues to be the largest taxpayer in Connecticut, paying more than $300 million a year. At the same time, we have provided $30 million in voluntary payments to New Haven over the last decade. In addition, we pay nearly $6 million in property taxes to the city annually, contribute to critical community programs, like New Haven Promise and we are working collaboratively to drive down employee healthcare costs. While imposing additional voluntary payments is not the answer — especially in light of the massive financial impact of our COVID-19 response — we remain open to working on creative approaches with the city.”Karen Peart, director of University Media Relations for Yale, said the university, “the city’s third-highest taxpayer,” pays $5 million in property taxes each year for non-academic properties, as well as about $5 million in permitting fees to the city.In addition, Peart said, “Yale commits significant resources to supporting New Haven public school students as co-founder and primary funder of New Haven Promise. Yale contributed $4 million this year to cover full tuition at any public university in Connecticut for eligible New Haven public-school students. Last year, Yale and its employees made over $3 million in charitable donations to New Haven nonprofits and the United Way Campaign, to the direct benefit of New Haven residents. Yale further contributed $1.5 million to the Yale Homebuyer Program, which offers Yale employees $30,000 to purchase homes in New Haven. Yale supports initiatives such as the New Haven Works jobs pipeline program and Market New Haven.”In terms of jobs, Peart said the university is the city’s largest employer, “with nearly 14,000 faculty and staff.”“Through its New Haven Hiring Initiative (NHHI), Yale has hired more than 1,000 New Haven residents into full-time positions (bringing the total to 4,000). Since last July (FY20), staff, academic, and construction hires have resulted in 239 total hires, with 86 from Neighborhoods of Focus,” she said in a statement.As for other contributions to the city, Peart said “Yale recently made a significant contribution to support the new Stetson Library in the Dixwell Avenue neighborhood. In addition, our medical school sponsors free clinics; our law school offers pro-bono legal advice; and our architecture school designs and builds homes for the economically disadvantaged. Yale students volunteer throughout the city, providing tutoring, mentoring, tax preparation, ESL classes, and food pantry services to the city’s residents.”Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include comment from Yale University.

NEW HAVEN — Voters going to the polls Tuesday were greeted with a large sign telling them how much they could save in property taxes if Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital were not tax-exempt.The move by New Haven Rising and the Yale unions is part of a campaign to have the university and hospital contribute more to the city.The unions and New Haven Rising said in a press release that the two institutions are getting a “tax break” of $157,722,490, up from $146,079,896 last year because of the increase in the city’s property tax rate, 43.88 mills this year, and the increase in the...

Campaign lets homeowners calculate tax savings if Yale, Yale New Haven paid on untaxed properties

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS