FAIRFIELD -- Things got confusing over the collection of small tax bills Monday night, as the Representative Town Meeting killed a proposal to increase -- from $2 to $10 -- the amount of taxes that officials say cost more to collect than they're worth.

Assistant Town Attorney Eileen Kennelly admitted to being confused as well as the RTM members, but her confusion centered around the decision to turn down the proposal. "This is not a change in language, this is only a change in the dollar amount," Kennelly said. The ordinance and its wording, she said, have been on the town's books for years.

As the ordinance stands now, property tax bills for $2 or less are waived. Under state statute, towns can waive up to $25 of an original tax bill. Tax Collector Stanley Gorzelany sought to increase the amount to $10 as a cost-saving measure for the town because the expense of processing the bills outweighs the scant return.

RTM members questioned whether property owners who don't get a tax bill would be considered delinquent. For the most part, Fiscal Officer Paul HIller said, the small bills are for motor vehicles.

RTM member Patti Dyer said she worries that someone wouldn't get a tax bill for their car because it was less than $10, and then when they try to register a vehicle, discover they have a delinquent tax bill. "Someone's going to get to [the Department of Motor Vehicles] to register their car and stand in line for two hours," only to find they have to go back to the tax collector's office to settle a tax bill and then make another trip back to the DMV, she said.

First Selectman Kenneth Flatto asked the RTM to wait to vote on the proposal because Gorzelany had yet to arrive at the meeting, but the RTM went ahead with a voice vote before he arrived. He got to the meeting a few minutes after the vote.

According to Gorzelany, when the town waives the bill it is wiped off the books, the money is no longer considered owed, and delinquent notices are not sent to those owing the small amounts nor are delinquencies on those minor amounts reported to the DMV. In addition, if a taxpayer is delinquent on motor vehicle taxes, their registration renewal notice indicates there are taxes that must be paid before the renewal will be accepted.

Flatto appeared annoyed with the RTM's questions. "Stan did go to every committee meeting, he spoke to all of you," he said. "I don't know why the questions didn't come up then."

In fact, Gorzelany said Tuesday the same questions had been asked earlier and answered at both committee meetings and the May RTM meeting.

"We can all have different interpretations of this," Jamie Millington, said, "but the wording of this has to be crystal clear."

The amendment couldn't be tabled because Monday's meeting was the last of the current RTM session. The next meeting won't be until after the Nov. 3 election.