Thousands of West Haven dollars left unclaimed from Big List

WEST HAVEN — For years, city officials have met with a state oversight board to discuss how West Haven can grow its grand list to prevent raising taxes in a city that according to state data already has one of the highest tax rates in Connecticut.

One way the city could raise revenue, even if only one-time payments, would be to access its own funds being held by the state.

Last year, the Register reported that West Haven had a minimum of $3,950 in unclaimed property stemming from things such as old checking and savings accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten utility deposits, unclaimed life insurance proceeds or inactive stocks and bonds held by the state.

The website CT Big List, launched by the state treasurer’s office in order to streamline outstanding claims for money owed to individuals, corporate and nonprofit entities and municipalities, does not include a precise accounting of how large each claim is to a lay person. The website lists claims between $50 and $100 as being “under $100” and larger claims as being “over $100.” According to claims observed by the Register, claims for the City of West Haven or City Hall departments total a minimum of $5,700; outstanding claims for the Police Department are a minimum of $2,350; and outstanding claims for the school district and Board of Education are a minimum of $2,150.

West Haven Mayor Nancy Rossi and Finance Director David Taylor did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

Matt Cavallaro, finance director for West Haven Public Schools, said the district did recoup several claims after being informed of the CT Big List program by the Register last year.

“The Business Office will begin the same process to recover the funds that are still available,” Cavallaro said in an email. “Any funds that are recovered will go directly to benefit our students.” Cavallaro said he did not immediately know how much the district was able to recoup since January 2022.

West Haven Police Chief Joseph Perno said the Board of Police Commissioners had agreed to reach out to the state about recouping funds; a call to commission Chairman Ray Collins III was not immediately returned Monday.

A spokesman for the state treasurer’s unclaimed property division has hired a municipal outreach liaison.

“The division has been proactively getting in front of municipal groups as well — they presented at the CT State Taxpayer Association Annual Conference and a meeting of the Government Finance Officers Association earlier this year, distributing packets with listings of property in their respective municipalities and instructions on how to claim them,” said spokesman Tyler Van Buren in an email. “So far we’ve found that work to be successful and look forward to building on it while simultaneously implementing technological and process improvements behind the scenes.”

Van Buren said Treasurer Erick Russell “has raised awareness of the Unclaimed Property program with municipal officials in both individual meetings and at public events, and expanded outreach efforts within the agency.”

Van Buren said the office mailed letters to municipalities that were unable to pick up packets at events, with a list of property found by the office of the treasurer’s staff. He said that, due to differences in how some municipalities are structured, most of the property identified in those letters was in the town or city’s name and not necessarily things such as school districts or police departments.

West Haven is subject to oversight by the state Municipal Accountability Review Board, which is a combined project of the treasurer’s office and the Office of Policy and Management. A representative for OPM said the department does not work with municipalities regarding the unclaimed property list.