The much vilified local property tax — often blamed for aggravating educational inequality, but a cornerstone of school funding — provides more than 55 percent of revenue for local public schools here, ranking Connecticut ahead of most other states, according to a Congressional study.

Join us in West Hartford as we continue our Sustainable CT series. In this session, attendees will learn about cutting-edge, best practices regarding municipal energy and land use; identify the multiple benefits of implementing these best practices, including qualification for Sustainable CT points; and gain an understanding of the multitude of resources available to help municipalities implement sustainability initiatives.

Bits and pieces of the new 10-year transportation improvement program have been shared with lawmakers. Lamont has yet to formally make the proposal. Democrats and Lamont need Republican support in the state Senate because the legislature’s Democratic majority has said they’re only interested in voting on something that has bipartisan support.

Here’s the big picture: Even without stepped-up borrowing, debt payments are set to rise more than $300 million a year in the next five years, to more than $1 billion a year. The need for more highway and transit spending, meanwhile, seems not to be in dispute — at least another $300 million a year to actually improve more things.