[East of the River]

Originally Posted by ads94

The only realistic changes to Connecticut's school system will be increased regionalisation. The only significant cost reductions again will be regionalisation. The fantasy of just saying "reduce taxes, abolish this tax" is nice, but it's just that - a fantasy. A vast majority of the money collected at both the state and local level are used for things that either are A) politically untouchable or B) contractually obligated.

The reason why Connecticut's economy is so bad is because of the pension and state employee healthcare obligations that hang around our neck like an albatross. The tax rates are fine. Once Connecticut can finally deal with this issue, which will plague us for about another 15ish years or so, the state will have an economic renaissance. We are doing very well even now, all things considering.

Yeah unless you change the use of the money shifting it around won't do much.

On property tax I really despise it on a personal level but there are reasons it exists. Many believe part of the CA property value problem is related to low property taxes. Many properties stay off the market because the holding costs are low.

[RunD1987]

Think with property tax it has it's purpose for financing towns/cities. Also a lot of municipalities need to be funded such as pipes carrying water and sewer in and out. Cable lines carrying power and cable in.

The other views on PTax people believe is you are leasing land and that you really never own the land.

That's why I think either a sales tax that is incorporated into the mortgage can be paid off in one lump sum or over time be better. The other option a yearly service fee decided by the town/city for property owners or renters. School tax or all three of these. Then do away with car tax. That benefits all sides of the table.

[ads94]

Originally Posted by East of the River

Yeah unless you change the use of the money shifting it around won't do much.

On property tax I really despise it on a personal level but there are reasons it exists. Many believe part of the CA property value problem is related to low property taxes. Many properties stay off the market because the holding costs are low.

I honestly have no problems with the taxes I pay in Connecticut. I get very good service for all of my tax dollars on both the state and local level. The only complaint is on a local level - the town plows have removed my curbing during snow removal over the course of three years. Two complaints thus far and no action.

I pay property taxes in two states (Florida and Connecticut), and I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that the money is better spent and invested in Connecticut. I get a breakdown in what is levied for what in Florida, and my total taxes are $224.07. Of that, only $17.05 goes to the schools. Even if you remove the non-ad valorem assessments (the MSBU, new waterline, and fire services of $184), schools are only barely larger than General County of $16.53, and are not a majority of the total ad valorem taxes.

I don't get a breakdown for Connecticut, but looking at the budget of my town and the school district, it's clear a majority goes to the schools, by a country mile. The quality of the education is excellent, I say as I have passed through it. Coupled with the other good services the town provides, I have no qualms for paying it. Since it is lumped into Mortgage payments, it's really not as bad as people say. It is not like you must have 6k at the ready once a year. 500 a month spread across the year is much more manageable.

If Connecticut was serious about property tax reform, they would allow the towns and cities to levy an income and sales tax. This would, however, most likely bring about much more problems than solutions. It's no secret that places like Hartford have residents with lower incomes than West Hartford. This could lead to a situation that's basically the same as now, city income taxes and sales taxes would be massive, while you cross the border into West Hartford and they tumble by 80%. Still very unfair.

It is fortuitous we are not like California regarding property taxes. Our system, skewed as it is, is still more fair than theirs.

Originally Posted by RunD1987

Think with property tax it has it's purpose for financing towns/cities. Also a lot of municipalities need to be funded such as pipes carrying water and sewer in and out. Cable lines carrying power and cable in.

The other views on PTax people believe is you are leasing land and that you really never own the land.

That's why I think either a sales tax that is incorporated into the mortgage can be paid off in one lump sum or over time be better. The other option a yearly service fee decided by the town/city for property owners or renters. School tax or all three of these. Then do away with car tax. That benefits all sides of the table.

This is what Citrus County, and most of Florida, does with their taxes. It's still a property tax. Doing away with it in name and just saying it's a "School Tax" or "Municipal Services Tax" and not paying it results in the same thing as if you didn't pay your taxes under the current system. It's also the same exact thing it is now. So if your mill rate is 30, the only thing that changes is that your School Tax mill rate is 16 and your Municipal Services mill rate is 14.

The sales tax system falls apart when there's long-established homes and no growth. Look at Scotland, an article said they had a single house built over the last decade. I am also certain that Scotland is not some real estate hot market, meaning once the mortgages are paid off and the tax is gone, and no one sells their house, the town goes bankrupt. That's simply not sustainable.

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by ads94

I honestly have no problems with the taxes I pay in Connecticut. I get very good service for all of my tax dollars on both the state and local level. The only complaint is on a local level - the town plows have removed my curbing during snow removal over the course of three years. Two complaints thus far and no action.

I pay property taxes in two states (Florida and Connecticut), and I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that the money is better spent and invested in Connecticut. I get a breakdown in what is levied for what in Florida, and my total taxes are $224.07. Of that, only $17.05 goes to the schools. Even if you remove the non-ad valorem assessments (the MSBU, new waterline, and fire services of $184), schools are only barely larger than General County of $16.53, and are not a majority of the total ad valorem taxes.

I don't get a breakdown for Connecticut, but looking at the budget of my town and the school district, it's clear a majority goes to the schools, by a country mile. The quality of the education is excellent, I say as I have passed through it. Coupled with the other good services the town provides, I have no qualms for paying it. Since it is lumped into Mortgage payments, it's really not as bad as people say. It is not like you must have 6k at the ready once a year. 500 a month spread across the year is much more manageable.

If Connecticut was serious about property tax reform, they would allow the towns and cities to levy an income and sales tax. This would, however, most likely bring about much more problems than solutions. It's no secret that places like Hartford have residents with lower incomes than West Hartford. This could lead to a situation that's basically the same as now, city income taxes and sales taxes would be massive, while you cross the border into West Hartford and they tumble by 80%. Still very unfair.

It is fortuitous we are not like California regarding property taxes. Our system, skewed as it is, is still more fair than theirs.

You sure your tax dollars going to good use ?

[BPt111]

Where CT tax dollars go


Spring 2015

https://ctmirror.org/2015/04/21/a-gu...ax-dollars-go/

[ads94]

Originally Posted by BPt111

You sure your tax dollars going to good use ?

Originally Posted by BPt111

Where CT tax dollars go


Spring 2015

https://ctmirror.org/2015/04/21/a-gu...ax-dollars-go/

38% Personnel

18% Municipal Aid (which my town gets)

15% Medicaid

10% Debt

21% Other

Yup. Satisfied with this breakdown. Personnel costs will decrease in 15-ish years once we get over the Rowland pension disaster. Then we can work on expanding health care, transportation, and other services. I would also not mind more funding going to the cities. They are the economic future of this country, and just neglecting our cities and letting them fail is foolish.

[RunD1987]

Would support a CT sales tax. A CT income tax That is tiered and taxes income after $30,000. A flat commercial property tax with tax free zones for non-profit/hospital buildings. Replace property tax with a local sales tax and school tax. Semi-Private highways with tolls.

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by RunD1987

Would support a CT sales tax. A CT income tax That is tiered and taxes income after $30,000. A flat commercial property tax with tax free zones for non-profit/hospital buildings. Replace property tax with a local sales tax and school tax. Semi-Private highways with tolls.

Did you think colleges like Yale, UConn should pay taxes ?

[hvexpatinct]

Originally Posted by BPt111

Teachers in Connecticut can not afford buy home in state due to their low wages. What going on in CT

Report: In Connecticut Cities, Teachers Can Rent, But Must Wait To Buy | WNPR News

This synopsis is really, really, really misleading and is a great example of using statistics to promote an agenda that isn't based in reality. The underlying report specifically states that in the majority of districts, teacher housing affordability puts them on par with the national median home buyer. It also only looked at New Haven, not Bridgeport or Hartford.

In New Haven a single teacher would have to save for nearly 9 years to afford a 20% down payment, putting him/her at around age 31-32 at first time home ownership. For a couple, cut that timeframe in half. I struggle to see how that is unreasonable.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by ads94

If Connecticut was serious about property tax reform, they would allow the towns and cities to levy an income and sales tax. This would, however, most likely bring about much more problems than solutions. It's no secret that places like Hartford have residents with lower incomes than West Hartford. This could lead to a situation that's basically the same as now, city income taxes and sales taxes would be massive, while you cross the border into West Hartford and they tumble by 80%. Still very unfair.

I'd cite Philadelphia as a Hartford-like place with a local income tax If you work in the city, you pay the tax. You could easily use all those people who work in the office towers who flee to the suburbs to fund Hartford properly using the Philly model. Philly is 3.8907% for residents and 3.4654% for nonresidents.

I'm not saying it's a good thing since high local nonresident taxes tend to push large businesses out of the city. If you have the vast slums of Philly and have to pay for all the social services, the money needs to come from somewhere. Or you can do the red state thing and let them starve & freeze to death.

I've always lived in wealthy people enclaves so I've always benefited from a local property tax-based system but it's inherently unfair. If you can't afford to buy your way into one of those towns, you get lousy services and the schools are trash. I'd argue the schools are trash because the parents of the children attending the schools aren't parenting to the level of typical college educated professional parents but it's certainly unlikely that most children attending high poverty rate schools will ever escape poverty.