What to know about Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim’s tax cut

When Bridgeport officials reset the taxes on more than 28,000 homes, condos and other residential properties in early 2021, one of the biggest beneficiaries of that tax overhaul was the city’s mayor, Joseph Ganim.

In January of that year, Bridgeport officials agreed to slash by 45% the proposed tax assessment on a 7,000-square-foot home at 37 Thorne Place, which Ganim had recently purchased in one of Bridgeport’s wealthiest neighborhoods.

That tax adjustment, which saved the mayor roughly $8,240 annually, was widely discussed and criticized by Ganim’s political opponents last year as he campaigned for an eighth term as the leader of Connecticut’s largest city.

Analysis by The Connecticut Mirror, for the first time, shows just how substantial the assessment reduction was for Ganim’s property when compared to the tax adjustments meted out to tens of thousands of other Bridgeport homeowners in 2021.

What is a revaluation, and how did it impact Bridgeport residents?

A revaluation is a process that occurs every five years in Connecticut towns and cities and requires local officials to recalculate the estimated value of every building and piece of land within their borders.

Property records and tax data compiled by the CT Mirror show the city’s revaluation, which was officially implemented in October 2020, resulted in the vast majority of Bridgeport property owners facing dramatically higher assessments on their homes and condos.

In response, hundreds of frustrated homeowners filed appeals challenging their new tax bills and arguing that the city had wildly overestimated the value of their properties.

Many of those Bridgeport property owners complained that the assessed value of their homes was set to skyrocket by 40% or 50%, even though they had not made any upgrades to their properties in decades.

And some elderly and low-income residents resorted to pleading with the city, explaining through tears that the proposed tax increases could force them out of their homes.

Why did Ganim receive such a large tax reduction?

Ganim and city officials have repeatedly said the tax reduction on the property at 37 Thorne Place was warranted based on the $333,000 price he paid for the property, and the physical condition of the house, which the mayor later renovated and flipped for more than $1.1 million in 2023.

Ganim also owned several other residential properties that saw their assessments increase that year.

William Gaffney, Bridgeport’s part-time assessor, explained in a memo written last year that the home required “significant renovation and remodeling” when Ganim purchased it. And he said city employees inspected the property and agreed with that assessment.

“Condition of a property is extremely significant in the valuation process,” Gaffney told the CT Mirror. “The condition affects the marketability of a property. If you were purchasing a home, I imagine the condition would affect your offer price.”

What about other Bridgeport residents who filed for tax reductions?

Many of those Bridgeport residents complained, like Ganim, that their homes had outdated bathrooms, broken kitchen cabinetry, leaking roofs and single pane windows. Others explained that their homes had sagging foundations or a history of flood damage.

But, very few homeowners had as much success as Ganim when it came to contesting their new tax assessments.

In several cases, city tax officials responded to those types of appeals dismissively.

When Marian and Jadwiga Chmiel, who own a property on Bradley Street, explained that their home needed significant upgrades, Bridgeport officials added a note to their file arguing the city should not reduce tax assessments just because of a lack of upkeep on the property.

“I don’t think the city should pay for parents not updating their home repairs in the last few decades,” city officials concluded in the notes.

According to the city’s tax data, only 44 other residential properties received a larger reduction to their pending tax assessments in 2021. And the vast majority of those homes were automatically awarded a tax break based on the fact that they were built by Habitat for Humanity and were housing low-income homeowners.

The remainder were either severely damaged by fire, gutted to the point they were lacking gas and electricity or were owned by Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust, another affordable housing developer.

What does Ganim have to say?

The fact that Ganim received one of the largest tax reductions in 2021 was the result of a savvy and well-timed real estate investment, Ganim and city officials have argued, not his political position.

“Everything with regards to the purchase and sale of 37 Thorne Place was done as any other personal property transaction would be conducted, with all requirements met and regulations adhered to,” Ganim said in a prepared statement. “It is unfortunate that political opponents would continue to try to consume attention with politically motivated statements.”