Towns and cities in Connecticut are responsible for providing the majority of public services in our state: elementary and secondary education; public safety; roads and other infrastructure; social services; recreation; and others. They must do so while meeting numerous mandates, often underfunded or unfunded, from both the federal and state government.
Funding for these critical services can come from various sources, including taxes, user fees and charges, revenue sharing, and state and federal aid. In Connecticut, however, there is one revenue source that provides the majority of local funding – the property tax. A property-tax dependent system only works if two conditions exist: (1) the property and income wealth of a community can generate enough revenue at a reasonable cost to taxpayers to meet the need for public services; and (2) state aid is sufficient to fill local revenue gaps. For many communities in our state, neither condition exists.
Relying on the property tax to fund local government se
