Municipal leaders from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM), the statewide association of towns and cities, conducted a news conference on Wednesday morning, January 16, to detail problems with upcoming levels of state aid for FY2008-09, a proposed property-tax cap, and other key issues affecting towns and cities; and then to call on the Governor and General Assembly to take decisive action to avert a tax shift from the state level to the local level.

Municipal leaders discussed:

1. The problems that the second year of the state budget present for towns and cities -- with town-by-town dollar figures -- unless there are adjustments to increase state aid for municipal governments.
2. Why the Governor’s proposed cap on municipal property tax revenues is not the magic bullet to solve the onerous burden on local taxpayers.
3. Town-by-town listings of property-tax dependency and property tax burden as well as the financial strain of existing and proposed state mandates.
4. Options for property tax relief and reform that can best address the needs of Connecticut local governments and their overburdened residential and business property taxpayers.

CCM released several 169-town lists, including

• The change in state aid that each municipality would presently receive under the second year of the state budget (compared to the first year) for the fiscal year beginning July 1;
• Ranking of property tax revenues, town-by-town, as a percent of total municipal revenues; and
• Ranking of “effective” property tax rates among Connecticut municipalities, town-by-town.
• Ranking of all towns, according to the State’s determination and assessment of municipal distress