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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Connecticut's warming climate and our mild winter

 
Late day glow, Enfield, Cora Street, Jan. 18, 2023

We could still get a lot of snow. The Blizzard of 1978 struck on Feb. 5 and dumped some two feet of snow. But there's no getting around the realization that our winters in Enfield are warmer, and so far, this Connecticut winter is pathetic. 

Connecticut's temperature will see a five-degree Fahrenheit increase in annual temperature by 2050, according to the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA), and fewer frost days, from 124 days to 85. The number of days of rain will increase, but most of that will be in the spring and winter. The summer climate will be dry. 

Climate Central ranks Connecticut eighth among states that are warming the most, reporting a 3.2°F increase since 1970. The overall temperature rise in the U.S. is 2.6°F. 

Connecticut and New England states, especially New Jersey, rank high because of the slowing of the Gulf Stream, which is increasing the warm water near us. The ocean waters influence our air temperature and climate. 

Our changing climate is grim, unsettling, and depressing, honestly. The decline of our winters in Enfield and Connecticut is evident to anyone of a certain age. It hurts to think about the loss of winter, but more about what we are doing to ourselves. 

I used my gas-powered snowblower just once this year for a three-inch storm. And then there is the oil furnace keeping the house warm. Eventually, a heat pump and solar panels will replace these systems. 
 
In Enfield, which is primarily single-family houses, the majority running on oil heat, this shift in energy source will be costly but necessary. The evidence is right outside our windows. 

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