Posts

Showing posts from October, 2018

Charter Commission proposes 7% budget cap, a fix that won't solve the problem

Image
Charter Revision Commission. Budget limit debate on YouTube video starts at about 1:24:00 The Charter Revision Commission (CRC) approved a budget referendum, but only if officials proposed a budget that exceeded a 7% increase. If the budget fails in the referendum, it would automatically cap at 7%. By forcing a referendum on any budget exceeding 7%, the CRC proposal effectively imposes a budget cap. While this might sound like a way to control taxes, it overlooks a fundamental issue: property tax rates fluctuate due to factors outside the town’s control. The 2023 budget year proves this point: even with a 5.4% budget increase, homeowners saw their tax bills jump by 8-9%. The increase in taxes wasn't entirely due to spending—it happened because property taxes are affected by multiple conditions. A budget cap wouldn't have prevented these increases. Enfield's problem is revenue. Property taxes must make up the difference when other revenue sources decline—whether state aid, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

JFK middle school renovation is a battle over Enfield’s future

Image
JFK Middle School, Enfield CT Enfield voters are being asked to approve $84 million to renovate the John F. Kennedy Middle School . The town’s share of the cost is $27 million. The state is paying for 70 percent of the work. Whether town voters will approve it is a major problem. The referendum failed in 2017 , about 3,640 votes to 3,200. The town trimmed back the project from $95 million. The town share was reduced from $35 million. It’s hard to know whether the reduction in cost has made a difference in support. The opposition is in evidence on Facebook Enfield CT Open Forum . It’s frustrating. The opponents are mostly just complaining about taxes, and accusing the town of mismanagement. The big risk is state funding. The state kept its 70% reimbursement in place, despite the 2017 referendum rejection. That’s a hefty commitment by the state. If the referendum fails a second time, it’s possible -- probably very likely -- that the state will withdraw its commitment. Th...
Post a Comment
Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA
Read more

Stefanowski's climate change position makes him unacceptable as governor

Image
Middle Road, Enfield CT In Connecticut’s gubernatorial race, the Republican nominee, Bob Stefanowski has no real position on climate change. In this respect, he is running as a clone of President Donald Trump. His goal is to appeal to the state’s Trump voters, and this involves dismissing or marginalizing climate change as an issue. Climate change isn’t mentioned in Stefanowski’s platform, and when asked about his climate position at a public forum, Stefanowski said: “I don’t understand the science of it, but there’s enough data points to know that there is a problem,” the CT News Junkie recently reported. That should sound familiar. The Republicans, nationally, adopted the “I’m not a scientist” as a dodge to a serious discussion about climate change. This is what Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the issue. “What I have said repeatedly is I’m not a scientist,” according to a  report in The Hill . The basics of climate change science is something that ever...
Post a Comment
Read more