CT Citizens Assembly On Property Taxes Convenes In New Haven

by Donald Eng CTNewsJunkie

NEW HAVEN, CT — What is believed to be the country’s first statewide citizens assembly got underway Saturday as more than 100 randomly selected state residents gathered in New Haven to learn about the state’s property tax system. Participants in the Connecticut Citizens Assembly on Property Taxes will attend 12 daylong sessions this summer and will be tasked with proposing changes to the system.

“Our property tax system is beyond broken. Everyone knows this, but nothing changes because the perception at the Capitol is that trying to fix it is just too hard and politically perilous,” said Comptroller Sean Scanlon. “We can’t afford another property tax task force or report that collects dust on a shelf; we need action. We need change. And I’m truly excited to be a part of something unique and different that can help deliver it.”

Scanlon, who will bring the assembly’s report to the legislature in its 2027 session, was one of a handful of state officials to attend the opening session at Yale’s Linsly-Chittendon Hall. The assembly’s remaining sessions will be split between Yale and the city’s Omni Hotel, in addition to several online sessions.

State Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, the House minority leader, said the assembly’s timing was perfect, “since we all just received our property tax bills in the mail.”

Candelora said he had been part of a similar, though smaller, assembly in North Branford. In that gathering, about 40 people, Candelora said he had been one of the most obstinate, particularly on education issues.Then he accepted an invitation from the school superintendent to be an observer in the process.

“And it was really eye-opening for me, and the result was incredible for our town,” he said. “They still use some of those strategic plans to this day, and that was over 20 years ago.”

He also encouraged the assembly to participate and speak their minds, even if they come out on the losing side of a debate.

“We should be having these conversations, and it is OK to lose an argument,” he said. “So I think, as you embark on this journey … don’t be afraid to share your ideas.”

State Rep. Maria Horn, D-Salisbury, who chairs the legislature’s Finance Committee, said she had received some advice when she first got elected in 2018. The advice was to serve on the Appropriations Committee.

“We’re the ones who do the budget,” she recalled being told. “But don’t do (the Finance Committee). They’re going to hate you. That’s the tax committee.”

Horn, a former prosecutor, compared the assembly to convening a grand jury. In that process, a panel convenes for months and can be a significant life disruption.

“And once they get over the hurdle that it’s really disruptive to your life, they really enjoy it because it’s an important role to play in our system,” he said. “It’s important insight, and that’s the same that applies here.”

Connecticut Conference of Municipalities CEO Joe DeLong talks about the CT Citizens Assembly on Property Taxes on July 11 at Yale’s Linsly-Chittendon Hall in New Haven. Credit: Donald Eng / CTNewsJunkie

Joe DeLong, executive director and CEO of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, which is one of the assembly’s organizers along with Yale, UConn and the state Comptroller’s Office, said his organization was a natural fit.

“We’re not experts in citizens assemblies themselves,” he said, but his organization would benefit from the honest, ingrained thoughts of regular citizens, rather than the elected officials – primarily mayors and first selectpersons – that CCM normally speaks with.

Organizers aimed to have the assembly’s 103 members reflect Connecticut’s demographics as closely as possible along 16 demographic categories. According to CCM, several hundred thousand households across the state received invitations to participate, and those that responded positively were entered into a lottery. Participants will receive a $1,200 stipend for participating in all the sessions.+

The random selection process, along with participants’ willingness to commit to all 12 sessions, meant that some categories differed by up to 10 percentage points from the state average. Some examples include political affiliation – the assembly has about 10% more Democrats and 5% fewer Republicans and unaffiliated members than the state average. The panel also is about 9 percentage points more suburban, 6% more female and just under 2% more white than the state average. The group’s members also are about 4% less likely to be homeowners and 8% less likely to earn over $100,000 a year than the state average.

The assembly also hails from 53 communities, with Hamden topping the list with 11 representatives. Vernon (7) and Stamford (5) were the next best represented. New Haven, Norwalk, Simsbury and Waterbury have four residents each at the assembly.