Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations

The� Avon Chamber of Commerce has selected Flo for their Public Service Award! It will be presented at their annual luncheon at the Golf Club of Avon (Avon Country Club) on May 25th. �In addition to being an advocate for Avon taxpayers, Flo is also a well known businesswoman in Avon.� In her message to me, she expressed her surprise and delight at having been chosen and the recognition given the Avon Taxpayers Association.� Flo also expressed her appreciation to FCTO- �Thanks for your guidance, deep knowledge and hard work on so many subjects of common concern.�� Having known Flo for several years as an intelligent and compassionate woman, dedicated to furthering the interests of taxpayers, no one deserves this recognition more.� CONGRATULATIONS FLO!

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A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO DONNA MCCALLA

A sincere thank you to Donna McCalla of Hebron Dollars and Sense.� It is obvious that many hours were spent constructing the attached document which provides us with a comparison of tax increases throughout Connecticut.� Please read Donna�s comments below.� The attached worksheet is in Excel.� Susan Kniep��

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FCTO CONGRATULATES GOVERNOR RELL!

Governor Rell is to be congratulated in her endeavor to remedy the crippling financial effects of State Mandates on Connecticut and municipal taxpayers!�

FCTO and its members will do all we can to assist in this regard!�

Governor Rell Blasts Legislative Management

Vote to Kill Unfunded Mandates Study

Governor Will Form Panel Through Executive Order

Governor M. Jodi Rell today blasted the decision by majority party members of the General Assembly�s Legislative Management Committee to kill her bill creating a task force to study unfunded mandates, and announced that she would create the panel by Executive Order.� �It is a shame that the Legislature � the body that places so many of these burdens on Connecticut�s schools, cities and towns, usually without appropriating the money to pay for them � is unwilling to even undertake a study of how to lighten that load,� Governor Rell said.� �These unfunded mandates are the real drivers of countless municipal and school district expenses,� the Governor said. �Streamlining or eliminating unfunded mandates would go a long way toward creating real property tax reform � the kind that actually results in lower property taxes instead of promises and political posturing.

��I will not stand idly by while this burden continues or � worse still � is permitted to grow,� Governor Rell said. �This is a not a study of whether unfunded mandates are a problem. We know that they are. My Executive Order will create a panel charged with identifying the steps we can take to actually reduce or eliminate these fiscal vampires. This group will review the mandates, find out which ones are vital and put a stake in the rest.� ��I would have very much preferred to do this in conjunction with the Legislature,� the Governor said. �My bill was passed unanimously out of the Planning and Development Committee and I do not understand why the Democrats voted it down. But the General Assembly�s failure to act cannot be an excuse for inaction. One way or another, we will deal with this problem.��

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Donna McCalla, CTJodi146@aol.com

Hebron Dollars and Sense

Updated CT Tax Increase Comparison Spreadsheet

April 25, 2005 �

A sincere thank you to Donna McCalla.� It is obvious that many hours were spent constructing the attached document which provides us with a comparison of tax increases throughout Connecticut.� The attached worksheet is in Excel.� Susan Kniep��

A Message from Donna McCalla

Hi, all.� I am attaching the updated version of the CT Tax Increase Comparison spreadsheet.� Despite the fact that last week was �Spring Break�, and many boards and commissions didn�t meet, there was still a lot of data that came in.� We now have data from 97 towns and all 17 regional school districts.� After sending you the last version, a number of towns came in with higher than expected proposed increases which drove the average all the way up to 5.42%.� Then other towns reported which dropped the average back to the 5.31% level.� So we�re pretty much where we were as of the last reporting.� I still expect the number to drop to about the 5.2% level.� I regressed out the five highest proposed increases, and the five lowest proposed increases, and the number is exactly 5.21%.� This pattern has proven true over the past four years of data collection.� There are now six passed budgets, and two defeated budgets.� Monroe votes tomorrow on Round Two (I expect there will be a Round Three); Plainville votes again next Tuesday.� Rather than send a separate spreadsheet on funding authority approved education budgets, I have simply added a new tab to the CT list (FY05-06 Ed.Budgets.)� It is sorted alphabetically, but you can resort as you wish for the various data views.� Right now, the average approved education budget for all school districts by a funding authority is 5.08% (versus average BOE approved budget of 6.73%.)� The average approved education budget increase for local school (i.e., non-regional) districts only is 5.03% (versus average BOE approved budget of 6.81%.)� ��All regional districts have now approved a budget number that will be brought forward for vote.� Region 8 (RHAM) again takes the lead for being the largest (and only double digit) proposed increase.� The average of all regional district budget increases is 5.91%, but this is skewed significantly by RHAM�s proposed 12.3% increase.� Without RHAM, the average proposed increase by the other 16 regional districts is 5.52%. ��Any updates, please let me know.� I hope to send another update this weekend in preparation for next week, in which a number of towns are going to vote.� Thanks, Donna

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Edward Kardus, katzrus50e@aol.com

Wethersfield Taxpayers Association

Smarter Spending for Schools:� A worthy read.

April 11, 2005

The following is from an interesting website�.

It�s a simple, intuitive and responsible solution:

� Change the law in all 50 States and the District of Columbia by the end of 2008.

� Require every School District to spend at least 65% of their education operational budgets in the classroom for Teachers & Kids.

� Keep local control of education, but demand statewide accountability.

�America�s children will enjoy a first class economy in their future only if we ensure every student an opportunity for a first class education in their immediate present.�

Continued at the following website:� http://www.firstclasseducation.org/

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Fred Standt, FStndt@aol.com

Brookfield Taxpayers Association

Office of Legislative Research 2005 Legislative Issues Report

(refer to Tax Talk 47)

April 14, 2005

Dear Susan, Many thanks for this legislative heads up.� We' re being threatened with a 8.15% spending increase, (3.3 million) on top of 4 million increases over the last 2 years based on high health insurance and fuel increases. Fred

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TODAY�S NEWS: A brief summary is offered below.� Understanding that our lives are influenced by world events, FCTO provides interesting news articles on global and national issues.�� Is there an interesting article you would like us to include in our next Tax Talk publication?� Send it to fctopresident@ctact.org.�