Issue Position: Property Taxes

Issue Position

Skyrocketing property taxes are forcing taxpayers out of their homes and driving businesses away -- along with jobs.

Communities across the state have said a resounding NO to their local budgets on the first try this year. Finance boards and business managers have been told to go back to the books and start over.

* The primary driver of local budgets is the cost of operating public schools which can account for 70 to 80 percent of municipal budgets.

* Driving the school budgets are unfunded state mandates -- requirements that certain programs or policies be in place in each school district, without accompanying methods to fund these programs.

This combination of unfunded mandates and Legislative spending increases has caused a major shift of the tax burden to homeowners and small businesses.

Without curtailing spending the tax burden is simply a shell game, shifting from industry to property owners and small businesses.

* The first step in reversing this trend is to cut back on government spending

* We must also put an end to unfunded mandates.

* We must equalize the Educational Cost Sharing formula so smaller communities are not penalized while big cities get the lion's share of state funding.

The Democratic leadership in the state Legislature has been irresponsible in its attitude toward Connecticut property owners and business community. The means to reverse this reckless abuse of taxpayers and businesses is available to us in the voting booth.

The right choice in November can mean a wholesale change in Hartford next year.

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