Connecticut western news., 1920-12-02
STATE BOARD BOOSTS RATING IN COUNTY TOWNS
Town of North Canaan Grand List Is Raised
 $35,OOO

An aggregate of $5,425,000 was added to the grand lists of 52 towns whose grand lists are $2,500,000 or less, these towns getting state aid for schools and highways and seven towns were taken off the list by the state board of equalization meeting at the capitol, as a result of which these towns will lose approximately in state aid money. Treasurer G. Harold !Gilpatric, Comptroller Morris c. Webster and Tax Commissioner William H. Blodgett, comprising the board of equalization, took up the entire afternoon with the work and heard representatives of 10 towns. The grand lists are as of Oct. 1, 1919
 Only 30 of the 91 towns that were on the list before the board of equalization began its work were un- touched. The towns of Hampton and Volunton were not disposed of. The state aid for schools is known as the support of schools granted ann is authorized by section 339 of the legislative acts of 1919. AS the result of the equalization boards action there are now 8 towns with garnd lists of $2,500,000 or less.
 The seven towns taken of the list because their grand lists now exceed the. statutory requirement of $2,50O,- 900 or less are Trumbull, Newington, Guilford, North Haven, Portland, Sharon and East Hampton.
 The Litchfield towns whose grand lists were increased and the amounts are: Barkhamsted, $50,000; Canaan, $80,000; Cornwall, $50,000; Morris, $50, ,000; North Canaan, $35,000; 1; Roxbury, $10,00o; Warren, $50, 1000. There are five classifcations of towns for schools which get a per- centage from the state of the amount spent by the towns for schools: The division is as follows: Grand list, l $500,000, 75 per cent; $500,000 to $1,000,000, 60 per cent; $100,000, 45 per cent; s1,500,000 to $2,00O,- 900, 3e per cent; $2,000,000 to $2,- 500, 0,000, 20 per cent. z.u .r .raF In this connection it is interesting to note that the Connecticut State | Teachers association and the state board of education plan to urge upon the, legislature an increase in the state aid to the towns already receiv- | ing it and an extension of the sup port of schools grant to every town and city of the state. Under the proposed plan towns with grand lists between $2,500,000 and $1O,00O,000 are to get 15 per cent and those with grand lists of more than 10 per cent of the amount spent for schools.
 Towns with grand lists of $1,25O,- 900 or less get from the state seven eighths of the amount spent on high ways and the towns with grand lists between $1,25O,OO0 and $2,500,00O get three-quarters from the state for highways. It was pointed out by the board of equalization that the appor- tionment of state and county taxes was based only on the receipts by the towns from direct taxation and was not related to the grand list.
 Towns with grand lists of $2,5O0,- 900 or less are located as follows in the eight counties: Hartford, 8; New Haven, 9; New London, 12; Fair field, 10; Windham, 10; Litchfield, 15; Middlesex, II; Holland, II. The following towns were represented before the equalization board: Wood bridge, Colchester, Brookfeld, Wood stock, Barkhamsted, Cornwall, Had dam, Killingworth; Columbia, Coven- try.