The economy is barely showing a pulse and Litchfield's grand list of taxable property is following suit by growing at a slow rate. The grand list for 2009, completed recently by town assessor Harold Ducey is up by just nine-tenths of one percent, to $1.1 billion. The increase is one of the smallest in years, Ducey said, and reflects the state of the economy.

In Litchfield, a stagnant economy means little new construction and new automobile purchases. As a result, the grand list isn't showing the growth it did three and four years ago, when times were good.

Still, the nine-tenths of one percent growth, based on the current tax rate, will yield an additional $200,000 in tax revenue that should help town and school officials as they prepare proposed budgets for 2010-11.

Real estate is the largest component of the grand list, with values totaling $1,008,559,250, an increase of just over $3 million. Motor vehicle values are $66,569,678, an increase of $1.4 million, and personal property values are $25,794,140, an increase of $1.7 million.

The grand list could change in the coming weeks after the Board of Assessment Appeals hears cases in March.

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