Bronin to Speak in Newington Jan 30
NEWINGTON - Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin will visit Newington on January 30 to discuss the financial challenges associated with the city’s $50 million deficit, as well as solutions that-in past talks-have included everything from lobbying for PILOT revenue to inter-municipal cost sharing initiatives.

       The discussion will be held at Town Hall from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

       Bronin spoke to residents of Rocky Hill in early December, and will have addressed the Town of Wethersfield by the time he meets with officials and members of the public in Newington.

       In Rocky Hill, Bronin asked town residents to push their legislative delegation to advocate for â€"fairer” funding under the PILOT program.

       Collectively, municipalities throughout Connecticut lose $700 million on tax exempt hospitals, universities, and other nonprofits, according to the 2016 Candidate Bulletin Report authored by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, (CCM). Bronin is listed among the directors involved with compiling the information.

       Although the formula calls for a 77 percent reimbursement, CCM’s current year estimates were closer to 29 percent, the report said.

       In Hartford, more than half the property is tax exempt, according to the report.

       Bronin told Rocky Hill residents that Hartford would not be able to cut or tax its way out of the current fiscal crisis-measures he says the city has tried in past years without success. Increased PILOT funding would present a state-driven, longer term solution, as well as a commitment to building an economy centered on the success of a job-abundant capitol city, he said.

       But a fully-funded PILOT program-while desirable-is less than realistic in a fiscal climate in which the state’s own deficits are expected to prompt cuts in crucial areas that include Education Cost Sharing (ECS) and other streams of municipal aid revenue, said Senator Paul Doyle and State Representative Tony Guerrera at the Rocky Hill meeting.

       The delegation’s first priority, therefore, needs to be preserving as much of what towns receive now as possible, Doyle said.

       Last week, municipalities received word of reductions to their ECS payment for the current fiscal year, with Newington taking a $174,000 hit to the projected amount.

      
STORY BY MARK DIPAOLA   |  Jan 05 2017  |  COMMENTS?