Lamont Pushes for Greater Affordability and Municipal Autonomy

by Hudson Kamphausen CTNewsJunkie

Gov. Ned Lamont wants to make communities more affordable, as well as make it easier for municipalities to manage themselves at their own cost, he told officials from Connecticut’s small towns on Thursday. 
At the annual gathering of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns (COST), Lamont acknowledged that the state is still expensive and he understands the balance small towns face.  He referenced the recently reduced motor vehicle property tax, among other initiatives, that could make the state more affordable for taxpayers in both big and small towns. 
Part of making communities more affordable, he said, is giving regional councils of governments (COGs) more flexibility over how they function in their regions, and while he was hesitant to use the term “regionalization,” Lamont said he thinks COGs should be able to make choices regarding hiring assessors, building inspectors, or purchasing agents at a rate that makes sense for their regions financially. 

Executive Director of COST Betsy Gara said that, while she and the organization are supportive of the efforts to assist towns in regionalizing various services – including specialists like assessors –  there are some barriers that may limit its effectiveness. She said that while regionalizing the hiring of some specialists like assessors and purchasing agents makes sense regionally, the timeline of appointing positions such as building officials may affect the continuity of regionalization. 
Typically, a town’s building official will be appointed to a set term. If an official is already serving in that appointment, then another cannot be appointed until the prior official’s term ends. This, Gara said, could act as an impediment to a regionalization of town services. 

Gov. Ned Lamont addresses the CT Council of Small Towns. (Hudson Kamphausen / CTNewsJunkie photo)

Still, Gara said she looked forward to reviewing the proposal, and said it makes sense for towns. It is her belief, she said, that allowing towns to share certain positions will save them money and allow them to be more efficient. Still, Lamont gave the impression that he feels there will be some give and take. 

“Remember, we’re feisty independents,” Lamont said to reporters after his speech, “so I’ve changed the tone a little bit. I’ve said, ‘Look, we’re gonna put some full time people, specialists, probably can’t afford them full-time, maybe you can hire them part-time.” Lamont said these specialists being hired by COGs, and being shared between towns on a part-time basis, would be much easier on towns financially. 
Property taxes will also play a role, he said, along with the prior elimination of taxes on pensions for those individuals who fall below an adjusted gross income of $75,000. Lamont said in his Wednesday address that there is still work to be done on property taxes. 
“Our budgets continue to do more. We recently increased and expanded the property tax credit, reduced the car tax, and our state aid to municipalities is more than ever,” Lamont said Wednesday. 

Lamont said he anticipated towns seeing substantial growth in the near future – with a new infrastructure plan which will provide high-speed internet to small towns throughout the state – and added that he hopes some newer generations will take hold in those communities. Still, he is aware that some communities may want to remain fairly steadfast. 
“I think they like their towns the way they are,” he told reporters Thursday. “I don’t think they’re looking for me to build Levittown in Ridgefield, Connecticut.”