Panel Urges Shift Of Tax
Burden To State October 1, 2003 Associated Press
NEW HAVEN -- A commission on property tax reform is recommending
shifting almost $1 billion in education costs from the towns to the state.
Members of the state Blue Ribbon Commission on Property Tax Burdens and Smart
Growth Initiatives unanimously adopted its report Monday.
The report recommends the tax shift to reduce reliance on the property tax,
which fuels competition between towns for tax growth, encourages sprawl and
threatens the rural character of the state.
Separately, the commission recommended that cities and towns be reimbursed at
100 percent for property tax exemptions, at a cost of $250 million.
The report further states that there will be little taxpayer support for tax
reform unless there is a commitment to more efficient delivery of services to
cut the cost of government.
New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr., chairman of the commission, said he was
"excited" that the vote was unanimous.
"I think the real job is not to let this get defined as `Let's just raise
more taxes,' but to understand the real issues are the quality of life, the air
that we breathe and the character of our communities."