Bridgeport named highest-taxed city

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH) -- Many might not be surprised to find out that according to a new report the highest-taxed city in the country is in Connecticut.

When H&R Block released its list of the highest taxed cities in the country, Bridgeport was at the very top.

"They are a little high for Bridgeport," said Elvis Millet.

"It's just shocking to say we're the highest," said Chuck Nichols.

However, the city says it's just not true.

"The numbers they're just wrong," said David Kooris, City of Bridgeport. "They're based on a series of national assumptions. They show the burden as being significantly higher in Bridgeport than it actually is."

For example, he says H&R Block based its numbers off a series of assumptions about household income and property values that don't reflect reality.

"So they say the average property tax bill for a homeowner is just over $10,000, when in fact it's just over $6,000," said Kooris, "and they put the average tax bill for cars at just under $1,000 when in fact it's just several hundred."

Highest or not some Bridgeport residents tell News 8 they would like to see their taxpayer money go to better use, especially they say when it comes to all this snow.

"I think we could have been dug out quicker with all this snow," said Shawn Hutchinson. "I know it was an unprecedented amount, but just a little bit faster would have been great."

"I'm still trying to take in the fact that there's all this snow around here and there were no plows after the storm and everything," said Nichols.