Hamden is on the hunt for tax cheaters.
The town is looking to catch people who register their cars out-of-state and avoid paying local taxes.
It’s a similar battle other communities in the state have waged, as NBC Connecticut Investigates has revealed.
On the road one thing that leaves drivers fuming is paying car taxes.
“We have one child, one son that already drives. My husband and I. So it’s quite high,” said Nony Hawes of Hamden.
Some car owners complained that they pay more than $1,000 year.
The town wants to crack down on people who avoid local taxes by registering their car out-of-state.
That could add up to hundreds if not thousands of cars.
“Most of it is anecdotal. But I can tell you I see every day vehicles that are registered out of state,” said Mayor Curt Leng (D – Hamden).
Leng admits challenging budget times have left the town trying to snag every cent that is owed.
Now they’re looking to hire a group to find and report any Hamden residents who have a car registered outside of Connecticut.
“The idea of the program is to have everyone pay their fair share and for hopefully the town to bring in a little additional revenue that can offset the mill rate for taxes for everybody,” said Leng.
And that’s something drivers can give the green light to.
“Absolutely, because if they live in Hamden and drive in Hamden they should be paying taxes in Hamden,” said Hawes.
The mayor’s aim is to begin the program at the beginning of next year.
While there has been mixed success in other communities with this, the mayor hopes it will bring in a good amount of money here.
