Cromwell Council approves four PA-490 motions to shield farmers from tax hike

Town Council · Meeting of February 11, 2026

Cromwell Town Council unanimously approved four motions aimed at protecting 47 farms facing higher taxes under disputed Public Act 490 land-use valuations, while also confirming a new police chief. Mayor James Demetriades drove the PA-490 response after Town Assessor Shawna Barron declined to revert to 2020 land-use values, citing Connecticut General Statute 12-60's restrictions on amending a finalized grand list, even as Governor Lamont's January 19 letter directed OPM to reinstate those lower values — a directive Barron said had not reached her as a formal mandate. The four motions direct Town Manager Tony Salvatore to obtain from the assessor a precise description of what documentation she needs, send letters with appeal forms to all 47 affected property owners noting the February 20 hand-delivery deadline, invoke Section 2.08 of the town charter to investigate the assessor's discretionary authority, and authorize a council letter to state legislators calling PA-490 "in need of repeal and replacement." Resident and farmer Wendy Adema Wentz told the council that every neighboring town she contacted had already adopted the 2020 values, saying, "I don't understand why our tax assessor needs something written personally to her." The council separately confirmed Captain Stephen Penn as the town's next chief of police and set budget workshops for March 3, 4, and 5 at 4:30 p.m.

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Source: the Town Council meeting of February 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

CROMWELL — February 11, 2026 — The Cromwell Town Council unanimously approved four separate motions addressing a disputed property tax assessment increase affecting 47 farms enrolled in Public Act 490, while also confirming a new chief of police and setting March budget hearing dates.

The most contentious business of the night centered on PA-490, a state statute governing farmland valuations. Town Assessor Shawna Barron applied newly revised 2025 land-use values to the October 1, 2025 grand list before Governor Ned Lamont issued a January 19, 2026 letter directing the Office of Policy Management to reinstate the 2020 values. Barron has maintained that the grand list was finalized under Connecticut General Statute 12-60 before the governor's guidance arrived, and that she cannot amend it absent a clerical error or a formal executive order.

Mayor James Demetriades outlined a four-part response, and the council approved each motion unanimously.

The Full Story

Demetriades told the council that the situation demanded immediate action on multiple tracks because time was short. Farmers who wish to contest their assessments face a February 20, 2026 deadline to file appeals with the Board of Assessment Appeals.

"We need to make sure that everybody knows what we know when we know it," Demetriades said. [00:43:13]

The first motion directed Town Manager Tony Salvatore to ask the assessor exactly what documentation she requires from OPM or the governor's office before she can revert to the 2020 values, so that information can be forwarded immediately to State Representative Christy Carpino and State Senator Matt Lesser. The second motion directed Salvatore to send a letter to all 47 affected PA-490 property owners explaining the disagreement between the assessor and the governor's guidance, attaching the appeal form, noting in bold print the February 20 hand-delivery deadline, and stating that the town does not intend to contest those appeals. The third motion invoked Section 2.08 of the town charter, authorizing the council to conduct an investigation into the assessor's discretionary authority versus the legislative body's authority on valuation decisions. The fourth motion authorized Salvatore and Town Clerk Amanda to draft and send a letter to state legislators on behalf of the council declaring that PA-490 should be repealed and replaced with a more equitable assessment process for farmers, with particular attention to River Valley municipalities such as Cromwell.

Resident and farmer Wendy Adema Wentz, of 56 Pasco Hill Road, told the council that every surrounding town she contacted — Portland, Rocky Hill, and others — has already adopted the 2020 values, and that Cromwell's River Valley designation unfairly raises the tax burden on flood-prone land that cannot be built upon.

"I don't understand why our tax assessor needs something written personally to her to say, use the 2020 values when the governor has said it." [01:58:58] — Wendy Adema Wentz, Cromwell farmer

Resident Anthony Cannata, of 136 Nookshill Road, presented data showing that of the 46 affected farm accounts, seven saw decreases, 13 were unchanged, and 26 increased. He argued that Cromwell's River Valley classification, intended to recognize more fertile alluvial soils, paradoxically penalizes farmers whose crops are wiped out each time the river floods.

The council also unanimously confirmed Town Manager Salvatore's appointment of Captain Stephen Penn as the next Cromwell chief of police, succeeding the outgoing chief, who is retiring after 36 years in law enforcement. A goodbye reception for the departing chief is scheduled for February 19 from 1 to 2 p.m. in the building room at Town Hall; Penn's swearing-in ceremony will be held February 23 at 11 a.m. in the same location.

On the budget calendar, Finance Director Sharon DeVoe reported that the town's unassigned fund balance stands at 23 percent per the fiscal year 2025 audit's management discussion and analysis section, and that the town received a $511,247 energy grant rebate from Eversource tied to the new middle school. The council set three budget workshop sessions for March 3, 4, and 5, each beginning at 4:30 p.m., and scheduled a special town meeting for 15 minutes before the regular March 11 council meeting to formally approve the sewer usage budget and sewer assessment budget set by the Water Pollution Control Authority.

Recreation Director Scott presented a proposal — which the council approved unanimously — to replace the existing $50 flat fee for a four-hour minimum pavilion rental with a $25-per-hour rate for residents and $50 per hour for non-residents, with no minimum block, and to add a prorated security-deposit forfeiture clause for renters who overstay their booked time. Scott noted pavilion fees have not been updated in at least the eight years he has been in his position, and that rental revenues are deposited into a dedicated pavilion account rather than the general fund.

The council also approved a slate of appointments to town boards, accepted a resignation from the Zoning Board of Appeals, and tabled a Board of Education request to allocate $59,617 in leftover capital funds toward Woodside Intermediate School gym lighting and East Cromwell School window air conditioner replacements. Members questioned why those two projects were not at the top of Claudio's published facilities priority list, and voted to send the matter to the Public Asset and Facilities Committee for review before the March 3 meeting.

Why It Matters

The PA-490 dispute directly affects 47 farm properties in Cromwell, 26 of which received higher assessments under the 2025 revised land-use values. With the appeal deadline of February 20, 2026 days away, the council's direction to send certified notices and appeal forms to every affected owner could be the difference between farmers preserving their right to contest the increase and losing it by default. The council's invocation of its charter investigation power signals a broader examination of how much control elected officials actually have over a town assessor who operates under state statute rather than council direction. The outcome of that investigation and of any state-level action in the current legislative session will determine whether Cromwell's farms face a permanent tax burden that, by the mayor's count, has already shrunk the enrolled-farm population to 47 properties.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Approval of amended agenda Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Approval of amended agenda (final) Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Recreation pavilion fee change — $25/hour for residents, $50/hour for non-residents, removal of four-hour minimum block, prorated security deposit for overstays Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Appointment of Stephen Penn as chief of police Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Budget workshop dates — March 3, 4, and 5 at 4:30 p.m. Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Special town meeting on sewer usage and assessment budgets, set for 15 minutes before March 11 regular meeting Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Tax refunds Tally: Approved unanimously

• Action: Board of Education capital fund allocation ($59,617 for Woodside gym lights and ECS AC units) — Tabled to March 3, 2026

- Vote: PA-490 motion 1 — Direct town manager to obtain from assessor the specific documentation she requires from OPM/governor's office Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: PA-490 motion 2 — Direct town manager to send letter to all 47 affected PA-490 property owners with appeal information, form, and deadline Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: PA-490 motion 3 — Invoke Section 2.08 of town charter to investigate assessor's discretionary authority versus council's legislative authority Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: PA-490 motion 4 — Authorize town manager and town clerk to draft and send letter to state legislators calling for PA-490 repeal and replacement Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Approval of minutes (January 14 and January 20 regular and joint meetings) Tally: Approved with one abstention (new member not yet serving at time of those meetings)

- Vote: Appointments — items Q1-A through D (Public Asset and Facilities Committee and related boards) Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Resignation of Tom Kornfield from Zoning Board of Appeals — accepted Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Reappointments — Library Commission and Youth Services Advisory Board (items Q3-A through F) Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Adjourn Tally: Approved unanimously

Source

Cromwell's community access TV: Town Council meeting, February 11, 2026