Residents do not pay mill rates. They pay dollars.
"The mill rate describes the mechanism of taxation. Per capita taxes reveal its impact. When officials point to a falling mill rate as proof of fiscal discipline, they are pointing at the wrong number."
A Lower Mill Rate Is Not a Lower Tax Bill
Greenwich's Grand List rose 25.3% this year to $46.2 billion — the largest of any municipality in Connecticut by a wide margin. As a result, the Board of Estimate and Taxation has proposed lowering the mill rate from 12.041 to 10.125 for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
Some have celebrated this as the lowest mill rate in the State. That should not be the headline.
Mill rates are often treated as the primary measure of a town's tax burden, and a lower rate can create the impression of fiscal restraint. That focus, however, misses the more important reality: what residents actually pay.
The Numbers That Actually Matter
The proposed mill rate is expected to generate approximately $468 million in property taxes, or about $5,600 per resident. That places Greenwich among the highest in Connecticut, alongside towns such as New Canaan, Darien, Westport, and Weston. Unlike those towns, Greenwich has a larger and more economically diverse population, making its position in the top set more concerning.
The issue is straightforward. Total property taxes are rising faster than inflation, and many property owners in Greenwich will see materially higher tax bills in fiscal 2027. This is not a contradiction. It is the predictable result of an exceptionally large and valuable tax base.
The Mill Rate Hides the Burden
Greenwich's $46.2 billion Grand List represents roughly 70% of estimated market value and accounts for approximately 4% to 5% of the entire state's property base. This immense wealth allows the Town to generate substantial revenue even with a relatively low mill rate.
That is precisely the point. The mill rate reflects how taxes are applied, not how much is ultimately paid. In a town where property values are extraordinarily high, even a modest rate produces a significant tax burden.
What This Means for Greenwich Taxpayers
A more meaningful metric is property taxes per capita, which captures the actual economic impact on residents. The mill rate describes the mechanism of taxation. Per capita taxes reveal its impact.
When Democrats and Town Hall officials point to a falling mill rate as proof of fiscal discipline, they are pointing at the wrong number. A falling mill rate in a revaluation year, paired with a 25.3% jump in the Grand List and a record $23.8 million annual tax increase, is not fiscal discipline. It is the largest tax increase in Greenwich history dressed up in a more flattering number.
Greenwich Republicans will keep pointing at the right number — the one that shows up on every taxpayer's bill.
The Bottom Line
Residents do not pay mill rates. They pay dollars. And it is those dollars, measured per person, that define the true cost of living in a community.
That is the standard Greenwich Republicans hold this Town Hall to. It is the standard every Greenwich resident deserves to see applied to their tax bill. And it is the standard that should drive the next budget cycle, the next debt resolution, and the next conversation about what fiscal discipline actually means in a town like ours.
