As the General Assembly heads into its final 10 days many major issues remain unresolved-including the amount of state aid that will be sent to towns and cities, whether there will be a property tax cap imposed by the State, and whether the State will mandate special benefits for public safety employees under Workers’ Compensation.

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) is calling on state legislators to:

• To support a state budget that significantly increases education aid over the two-year budget period, as proposed by the Governor.
• To support increases in non-education aid (PILOTs, Pequot-Mohegan, Town Aid for Roads) at levels at least as high as those proposed by the Appropriations Committee.
• Reject HB 6956, the huge mandate that would change presumptions under Workers Compensation for certain heart diseases, cancers and infectious diseases.
• To reject a feel-good state-mandated property tax cap on municipalities that will only cause pain to residential and business property taxpayers.

As part of CCM’s efforts, a related radio spot (see narrative below) starts today, May 30 and will continue to June 6, the last day of the regular General Assembly session. This radio spot is airing between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Hartford based WTIC-AM radio (the largest news radio station in Connecticut).

The same ad is also airing at different points during the day from May 14 to 18 on each of the 20 radio stations located throughout the state that are affiliated with the Connecticut Radio Network.

These stations include: WICC-AM in Bridgeport; WLAD-AM, WDAQ-FM, and WAXB-FM in Danbury; WGCH-AM in Greenwich; WHCN-FM, WKSS-FM, and WDRC-FM in Hartford; WMRD-AM in Middletown; WKCI-FM and WELI-AM in New Haven; WQGN-FM in New London; WNLK-AM and WEFX-FM in Norwalk; WLIS-AM in Old Saybrook; WKZE-FM in Sharon; WSTC-AM and WKHL-FM in Stamford, WATR-AM in Waterbury; and WILI-AM in Windham.

Narrative: CCM radio spot - May 30 to June 6

Town and city leaders across our state urge the Governor and the General Assembly to craft a bipartisan state budget that will hold down property taxes.

Such a state budget would make a multi-year commitment to significantly increase funding for our schools. It would provide significant increases in non-education aid for the many other services now paid for by property taxes - such as local roads and public safety.

Municipal officials also call upon state leaders to reject new unfunded state mandates that are still alive in the General Assembly and that will drive up the cost of local government and dramatically raise already-high property taxes statewide.

Town and city officials support a bipartisan state budget that is fair to all types of communities - urban, suburban, and rural - in every corner of our state.

Pick up the phone and call your state legislators and the Governor today!

This message is sponsored by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities - the Voice of Local Government.