Motor Vehicles Drive Lyme’s 2025 Tax Increase, Top 10 Taxpayers Revealed

LYME, CT – The town’s 2025 net taxable grand list is up 1.10%, driven largely by more vehicles in town and changes to the way they are taxed.

Last year, Lyme’s Board of Selectpeople voted 2-1 to adopt an alternative depreciation schedule for vehicle assessments, a change aimed at protecting municipal revenue. Republican Tom St. Louis voted against the move due to objections to higher taxes.

Assessor Jen Thomas said the 2025 grand list – which represents the total taxable value of real estate, motor vehicle and personal property – sits at $718.12 million, an increase of $7.79 million over the previous year. 

Real estate values rose $335,716, or 0.05%, to $663.93 million. 

Net motor vehicle assessments jumped 16.85% to $29.48 million. Thomas attributed the increase to a revised method for calculating vehicle taxes as well as more vehicles on the tax rolls. 

In 2024, a state law went into effect that set vehicle taxes based on a depreciating schedule tied to the suggested retail price rather than fair market value. But last year lawmakers added the option for a depreciation schedule more advantageous to municipal budgets in response to concerns from municipal leaders that the earlier change was siphoning tax revenue.

Net personal property assessments grew by $2.48 million, or 14.39%, to $19.75 million. 

Following are the town’s 2025 Top 10 taxpayers:

1. Connecticut Light & Power: $17.42 million
2. Beverly Platner: $5.94 million 
3. George W. Whelen IV: $4.41 million
4. Peter C. Daitch, trustee: $3.80 million
5. 1859 Associates LLC: $3.55 million
6. Maureen Johnson and G. Gilead: $3.48 million
7. Stephen C. Wardlaw and the estate of Lynne Wardlaw: $3.19 million 
8. Elizabeth McGuire Enders, trustee: $2.94 million
9. Lorac LLC: $2.65 million
10. Kim B. Hecht and Kevin J. Hecht: $2.65 million