In his role as president of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, a lobbying arm for cities and towns, Mayor Bill Finch is urging legislative leaders to approve new revenue sources to lessen the reliance on property taxes. CCM issued its legislative agenda on Monday in preparation of the General Assembly convening next week.
“The depth of the gubernatorial and legislative commitment to towns, cities and regions is key to Connecticut’s successful economic recovery,” according to the CCM legislative statement. “Healthy towns, cities and regions are where job creation and economic development occur.”
CCM legislative agenda here
CT Mirror reporter Keith Phaneuf has more here.
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The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities has on its legislative agenda “Reform binding arbitration and prevailing wage laws.” Are they for real? Binding arbitration has already been changed in their favor and prevailing wage, they want workers to work for minimum wage and no health benefits.
Not to worry. Finch couldn’t lead a sandwich out of a brown bag.
How are shoreline member towns of CCM feeling today now that only Bridgeport and New Haven will get to share in the $16 million in FEMA funds appropriated to CT for flood mitigation post-Sandy? And what do our U.S. Senators and members of Congress think about this?
Jan 27 CT Post
blog.ctnews.com/politics/2014/01/27/state-rejects-flood-mitigation-package-for-coastal-towns/
State rejects flood mitigation package for coastal towns
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Out of dozens of coastal property owners from Greenwich to Milford who applied for grants to raise the elevation of their homes in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, not a single application was approved by the state, according to a decision letter that went out today.
Sources say the money is instead going to New Haven and Bridgeport to harden their infrastructure, a decision that has inflamed emergency management officials in a number of shoreline towns.
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The amount of funds available to homeowners in flood plains was said to be $16 million and was awarded to the state by FEMA.
*** All these funds will be recouped by Fema and Insurance Companies in the near future by placing numerous business properties and homeowners throughout the state into “flood-zone” areas thus having to get flood ins. per their mortgage holder companiies, etc., even if you’ve never had a flood problem on your street or neighborhood! And they have made the Fema appeal process a difficult process to apply for and follow. ***
Am I missing something about borrowing, because this part of the agreement just does not make sense to me. From the CT Mirror report:
That spending plan also granted communities–for the first time in state history–a share of state tax revenues. Specifically, it granted cities and towns about $90 million in total, each year, from state sales and real estate conveyance tax receipts … Malloy and legislators tried to avoid raising taxes last spring when they enacted the current budget, they stopped sharing the revenue. In its place, state officials agreed to borrow about $56 million per year and distribute that to communities.
*** WELL DONE WITH THE MED PRESCRIPTION INSURANCE CARDS! ***