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State Senator David J. Cappiello
(R-Danbury), Ranking Member of the legislature’s Appropriations
Committee, along
with members of the Senate Republican Caucus
are calling for a reform of Connecticut’s property tax
system. According to the Senators, they are calling upon leaders
of the legislature’s Planning and Development Committee
as well as the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee to raise
a concept that would study the feasibility of eliminating
the municipal property tax system with one that would give
municipalities more flexibility and discretion in raising
local funds.
“Our
intention today is to get the ball rolling in reforming
this system,” said Sen. Cappiello. “For over
a decade we have heard the calls for reform and we have
witnessed the damaging effects of skyrocketing local property
taxes, yet no action has been taken to even attempt to comprehensively
change the tax system. We believe the time is now for everyone
to come together in a bipartisan manner to do just that.”
Under the initiative, municipalities
throughout the state would be provided with the authority
to come up with their own tax mechanism should they choose
to abolish their local property tax. It is the hope of the
legislators that the initiative would allow municipalities
to come up with different options to relieve themselves
of the current property tax burden. Under the plan, a town
choosing to use a new funding mechanism would be prohibited
from imposing local property taxes.
"As rising property taxes increasingly
threaten the ability of so many of Connecticut's citizens
to remain in their homes, we must give towns the ability
to think outside the box and reduce their dependency on
the property tax," said Senator Andrew Roraback (R-Goshen).
The legislators indicated that in the
coming days they will formally ask the chairmen of both
the Finance Committee and Planning and Development Committee
to assist them in moving the concept of changing the local
property tax system forward. They also made it clear that
they are open to other ideas.
“What we want is for people
to come together with their ideas in how we can change this
system,” said Senator Cappiello. “Local property
taxes have risen exponentially and over the years and have
placed a chokehold on many of our state’s residents.
We’ve heard a lot of talk and rhetoric regarding this
issue in the past, but nothing has been done. What we’re
saying is let’s get to work and see what we can do
to relieve this ever-growing problem.”
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