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Showing posts from March, 2021

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

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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, ...
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Climate change and increasing housing density, my testimony on SB 1024

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The hearing on this legislation is Monday, March 15. Here is my submitted testimony:  Dear Sen. Cassano, and Rep. McCarthy Vahey, and members of the Planning and Development Committee. I'm writing concerning bill S.B. 1024 , specifically its provision to increase density around transit and middle housing. I fully support these provisions. Thank you for the opportunity to comment. We are in the early stages of catastrophic climate change. We see rising temperatures, storms of enormous power, unusual weather generally, drying conditions that fuel fires, rising seas, and other climate-related problems. Over the coming decades, climate changes will prompt a northern migration. It may well be the most significant driver of growth in our state in the next 50 years. Climate change is our problem as well. Our average temperature has increased 2.8 degrees Fahrenheit from 1970-2018. (See Climate Central April 2019, Earth Day report). Along with Rhode Island, Connecticut is one of the faste...
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