Local government and state leaders can work together to reinvent and make government more efficient at all levels, ensure the continuity of local public services, and set the stage for significant property tax relief as the state economy improves. We need to forge a new State-Local Partnership based on cooperation, increased technical assistance and resource sharing.

This must be a two-track effort:

First, we need to take action to ensure that towns and cities get through the brutal economic situation of the next few years without slashing local public services and causing spikes in already skyhigh property taxes. Towns and cities provide the public services that mean the most to people and businesses. Our quality-of-life, one of Connecticut’s greatest assets, is at risk.

Secondly, we need to make structural changes to set the stage for more efficient delivery of government services and real property tax relief. There needs to be a serious discussion among statelocal policymakers and private sector leaders about the way public services are delivered and paid for in Connecticut – and what changes are needed to ensure efficiency and fairness.

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