Local Legislators Clash on Taxes, Municipal Funding in Approved Budget

Southington State Rep. Rob Sampson stood on the floor of the Connecticut House of Representatives Tuesday evening pleading for legislators to consider a proposal that would include no tax increases – a request supported by the town’s State Sen. Joe Markley.

Their efforts fell on deaf ears.

With the support of Southington’s democratic legislators Bruce “Zeke” Zalaski and Joseph Aresimowicz, a Democratic controlled house passed a $40.1 billion state budget by a vote of 83-67 that was approved by Gov. Dannel Malloy Wednesday.

After long budget discussions the past few weeks, Southington’s legislators remain split on the best way to address state needs and balance a budget that already includes a $3.5 billion deficit.

“The budget passed is one that brings $22 million a year to Southington for ECS funding, roads and manufacturing,” said Zalaski. “It’s great to say you won’t raise taxes as the Republicans have, but in the end you need to consider a variety of taxes and cuts to eliminate a $3.5 million debt.”

The biennium budget, which includes total spending of $19.8 billion for the 2011-12 fiscal year, and $20.3 billion for the 2012-13 fiscal year, plugs a $3.5 billion estimated budget in the coming fiscal year through spending cuts and tax and revenue increases.

But with the ability to eliminate the deficit comes an increase in sales tax from 6 percent to 6.35 percent – 0.1 percent of that tax will be returned to the municipality in which it was collected – and the addition of tax to products including services from pet grooming to creation.

The increases also include a $0.03 per gallon increase in the cost of diesel fuel for the purpose of funding infrastructure improvements along Connecticut’s roads.

The taxes aren’t popular, Aresimowicz said, but they were necessary in order to meet state demands without putting added pressure on municipalities and Connecticut homeowners.

“In serving as a state representative, I’ve voted against budgets in the past because they weren’t sustainable,” Aresimowicz said. “This was sustainable, it was responsible and it maintained level funding for municipalities so that we are taking responsibility as a state and not simply pushing the taxes onto towns and cities so that we could say we were offering a no tax increase.”

Democrats have stated that they were against a “No Tax Increase” proposal presented by Republicans because it eliminated funding to municipalities, but Sampson said in a press release Wednesday that it simply wasn’t true.

Instead savings would have come in cutting unnecessary state payroll and more than $46 million in spending by consolidating state agencies, he said.

The Republican proposal also would have capped the state’s “gross receipts” tax on gasoline, which taxes based on a percentage and increases with the price of gas, Sampson said.

“Considering the financial struggles faced by residents every day, the ‘shared sacrifice’ tax hikes included in this budget are irresponsible—particularly when majority legislators have ignored every idea that doesn’t require the to state reach into somebody’s wallet again,” Sampson said. 

Markley, who was in legislative meetings throughout most of the day Wednesday, could not be reached for comment.

Aresimowicz said when it comes down to it, however, the goal was not to do what was popular but what was right and he is pleased with the overall budget that was passed.

“Everyone always says they are going through the budget line by line, but there’s more to it than that,” Aresimowicz said. “Behind each line are stories from residents and families in the state and being responsible includes taking those stories into consideration.”