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October 13, 2016

CCM: CT's unfunded mandates penalize taxpayers, municipalities

Connecticut has an all-time high of more than 1,250 state mandates, but relief from even six of the more burdensome ones could provide savings for property taxpayers and municipal budgets.

That is the overarching finding of "Unfunded State Mandates: The Corrosive Impact on Property Taxpayers,” a study released this week by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.

Each mandate that is unfunded, or only partially funded, adds to the already overburdened property tax, and reduces local discretionary authority, said Ron Thomas, deputy director of CCM. Connecticut has had nearly 60 new mandates over the last two years, he added.

“If the state believes an existing or new mandate is appropriate public policy, then the state should be prepared to pay for it,“ Thomas said. “Enacting mandates is one thing, but to simply pass the buck onto Hometown Connecticut ─ should have no place in today’s political and economic climates. Each mandate that is unfunded, or only partially funded, only adds to the burden of the property tax.”

Some key proposals from the CCM report on unfunded state mandates in Connecticut include:

  • Allowing towns and their boards and commissions the option to publish legal notices online, which could improve citizens’ involvement in the operation of local government;
  • Updating the thresholds that trigger the prevailing wage mandate for public construction projects, which would free-up state and local dollars and jumpstart and expand projects; and
  • Prohibiting municipal fund balances (essentially “emergency contingency funds”) from inclusion when determining municipalities’ ability to pay.

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