Thimble Islands Tax District Initiated; Ferry Service Funds Can Be Collected

During the warm season becomes an aquatic highway, as boaters and kayakers swirl around the . A small ferry, , transports people and goods between the islands and to the mainland harbor dock.

For years, ferry service was an entrepreneurial venture. From the 1980s to the early 2000s, one Robert Milne, better known as Captain Bob, owned and operated this service, until he realized it wasn’t profitable.

Subsequently, in this dreary ferry history, other owners tried, failed or just left town.

During 2010, a significant portion of the year did not offer the service, leaving some of the residents of the Islands stranded and even those with yachts bereft of essential services.

On Saturday, July 30 at , the denizens of the Thimble Islands took matters into their own hands by electing to become a new tax district (read the Branford Eagle article here and the New Haven Register article here). In essence, enabling residents to initiate and regulate a municipal ferry service by taxing themselves.

According to Marianne Kelly, , there were 56 eligible voters on the Islands and 55 turned out to cast their ballots. The voting process, is a requirement in order to become an independent tax district per state statute.

“The criterion to vote was eligibility to vote or be a taxpayer,” said Kelly.

After debate, the issue, centering on equity of taxation, the Islanders voted 51-4 to become an independent tax district.

While the majority wanted to become a tax district, some did not, noting the extra costs associated with the designation. Particularly, Christine Svenningsen, owner of nine Thimble Islands, will disproportionally be paying taxes to the new district compared to the other island dwellers. Svenningsen is also among the top three tax payers in Branford.

Island resident Richard Peck attended the meeting and stated his support for the service. “People are concerned about tax equity. The main thing is we need a Ferry."

He continued, "People had been donating money to maintain the ferry on a volunteer basis. The Thimble Island Association – they will be the ones who’ll make the decisions on this,” referring to equity and implementation of service.

“The August 27th meeting [first meeting of the district] will begin the process, fees or tax base and that’s what is going to be determined,” says Peck, a resident of Money Island since 1935.

First Selectman Anthony “Unk” DaRos, along was in attendance at the recent vote, along with Second Selectman Francis Walsh and Third Selectman John Opie.

Raised in Stony Creek, DaRos gave his perspective to the passage the Islanders were making.

Asked why ferry service was so important, he articulated a combination of practicality and nostalgia.

“The ferry has been in operation for a hundred years,” said DaRos. “Over the years, people started using their own boats.” But, he added, the ferry served to transport guests and deliver goods, and services. Indeed, during his interview, Peck paused to look out his kitchen window to see if the workmen installing solar panels on his house were still working or had hopped the ferry back to shore.

DaRos also addressed the legislative effort made to make the Thimble Island Tax District a reality. “No laws were changed; they just added language to the existing state statute.”

The language was instituted by local representatives. “ was sponsored by myself, Rep. Pat Widlitz (D-Guilford) and Sen. Ed Meyer (D-Guilford),” said Rep. Lonnie Reed (D-Branford). “It had to come through the Planning and Development Committee on which I serve and that took a little doing.”

Further support came from an attorney living in the Pine Orchard section of town, Charles Goetsch. “I was elected president of the Thimble Islands Ferry district,” Goetsch said.

A soft spoken man, Goetsch clearly cares about his fellow citizens. You can hear it in his voice. “What I find remarkable in this economy is a group of people who came together to do this; tax themselves,” he said.

Funding and implementation is at the heart of the Thimble Islanders concerns. “The tax assessment is a known solution,” Goetsch says. “What we have to do is get it on the proper footing and see how it goes, until next year when we may have more money.”

The scheduled Aug. 27th meeting will begin the sorting out process.

Meanwhile, DaRos had some words of wisdom and comfort: “Taxes will be based on the fair market value under existing state law. Besides, they can always write their own by-laws.”