Governor Rell has ignited a serious discussion about what constitutes property tax reform in Connecticut.

But her proposals on school funding and accountability and on a cap on property tax increases address only part of the root causes of the property tax crisis that confronts our state.

This crisis calls for a comprehensive solution if Connecticut is ever to address all of the key factors contributing to the crushing property tax burden in Connecticut. This includes:

• Fully funding the Education Cost Sharing Grant for all towns and cities;
• Increasing state reimbursements for special education costs;
• Fully funding all non-education aid programs for municipalities, most notably Payments-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT), Pequot-Mohegan Fund, Town Aid Roads, and other grant programs;
• Incentives for regional cooperation to avoid duplication of municipal services and make government more cost efficient;
• Providing state assistance in reducing the cost of local government, such as the spiraling costs of health care for municipal employees;
• Enacting mandates reform, particularly a prohibition against new unfunded mandates;
• Establishing a comprehensive Smart Growth/Responsible Growth Initiative that recognizes the destructive link between present land use policies and the property tax. Present policies create incentives for sprawl development that devours precious green space, wastes taxpayer dollars for new infrastructure, and promotes disinvestment in our urban centers.

The Governor has begun a serious discussion. It is now up to the General Assembly to fill in the gaps. The General Assembly has been presented with an historic opportunity to address problems that have plagued towns and cities for over half a century.