Opinion: CT has stupid high property taxes; a case for regional government

Each year, towns in Connecticut go through the painful budget process, and my town of South Windsor is no different. What is different is how politically charged this has become.

The basis of the politicalization seems to be rooted in “the tax issue.” This past year South Windsor went through the real estate re-evaluation process required by law every five years. With the rise in real estate values, those evaluations increased dramatically.

The good news; your house is worth more. The bad news; your tax burden is going up.

This did not sit well with many residents. So, in November, the town voted out our super-majority Democrat Party Town Council and voted in a super-majority Republican Party Town Council. The Republicans had campaigned on a platform of cutting taxes, which obviously appealed to many voters.

It waits to be seen whether new town leadership can hold the line on taxes without negatively impacting our schools, town services, head count, and more. This is not a partisan issue. The dread of higher taxes is not a Republican or a Democratic thing. I view it as a practical thing.

Let me explain. I moved to Connecticut in 2002 having lived most of my life in Maryland and Pennsylvania. I learned quickly after moving here that property taxes in Connecticut were not just high, they’re stupid high. And on top of that I had to pay a tax because I own a car. I’ve never paid a personal property tax in my life previously.

Why is this? It’s simple math – towns need revenue to support expenditures. The revenue side is static. Connecticut does not have a prolific tax base. There is no Boston generating billions in tax revenue. Our statewide population is that of a Minneapolis or Tampa. We are not getting a windfall. So practically speaking, the only place to adjust is on the expense side. And here we have a wonderful opportunity.

That opportunity is called, regional government. It is a state-wide solution. This state is a victim of an incredibly inefficient provincial system of government that goes back to colonial days. We have 169 little kingdoms each duplicating the costs of each other. This creates an insane level of cost redundancy. We operate in fiscal silos with few or no economies of scale.

And you know who agrees with this? Forty-eight other states, none of whom do government this way; only Connecticut and Rhode Island operate in this manner. Think about that enormous duplication of costs across; parks and rec, public works, elderly services, tax collection, legal advisers, economic development, health services, IT infrastructure and education, just to name a few budget line items that could be streamlined.

Back in the 60s and 70s there was an attempt to move to regional government but it was so poorly executed that it failed. The infrastructure already exists as we have counties and planning groups called Regional Councils of Government. For this massive change to occur we need the will of leaders. But the grassroots level is where it needs to start as elected officials will not want to cede power.

Voters have to assert their will.

This is not a solution for today. It would take years if not decades to get to regional government. But 48 states have proven it works. If we’re serious about reducing taxes this is one big swing of the bat can get us there. For young families planning a long-term future in Connecticut, this would benefit kitchen table issues. If we start now, maybe your kids won’t have to pay a tax to own a car.

Paul Bernstein is a retired marketing executive who lives in South Windsor.