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Dear Editor,

As we approach the end of our first year on the West Hartford Town Council, we have gained a deeper appreciation for the challenges facing our community: maintaining excellent schools, keeping our streets safe, expanding housing opportunities, and making West Hartford an affordable place to live and raise a family.

We have also seen firsthand how decisions made in Hartford can place an enormous financial burden on Connecticut residents.

Consider Connecticut’s additional 1% meal and beverage surcharge. West Hartford has invested considerably in becoming one of the region’s premier dining destinations. Our local businesses generate approximately $3.3 million annually through this tax, yet none of that revenue is returned directly to the town. Meanwhile, West Hartford residents shoulder the costs of maintaining the roads, sidewalks, parking, law enforcement, and other public services that support these businesses.

The state also requires that West Hartford provide school nurses and transportation to private schools, which it substantially underfunds. We actually have to pay for ten school nurses to staff private schools. These mandates which will cost the town another $2.4 million this year.

Early voting offers another timely example. We support making voting more accessible, but the state has required municipalities to administer early voting without providing sufficient funding. This year, West Hartford expects to spend more than $80,000 on early voting, with state grants covering only barely half of that expense.

On an individual level, state mandates like the public benefits charge contribute to some of the highest electricity costs in the entire nation. Electricity is a basic necessity, and it is an absolute outrage that Connecticut residents are subject to electricity bills of hundreds of dollars per month or even more.

These examples illustrate a larger problem: Connecticut’s state government too often makes decisions without adequately considering their financial consequences. Unfunded mandates and unfair tax policies force municipalities to face difficult choices between raising property taxes, reducing services, or delaying necessary investments. Issues like the cost of electricity force families to choose between keeping the lights on, versus other basic necessities – how is this happening in one of the most advanced and prosperous states in the nation? For seniors on fixed incomes, young families, and residents already struggling with the cost of living, these pressures are particularly difficult. Do we want people and industry to continue to flee Connecticut, while those who stay face higher and higher costs?

This is why we are endorsing Ryan Fazio for governor.

Sen. Fazio has demonstrated a willingness to challenge the status quo while working across party lines. He has fought against the unfunded mandate nightmare. His emphasis on fiscal responsibility, electricity costs, and reducing burdens on municipalities reflects the concerns we hear from West Hartford residents every day.

Sen. Fazio has a strong record on a number of other issues that we believe shows he is listening to Connecticut residents’ concerns. He was an early leader in supporting a smartphone ban in schools. He has proposed to cap property tax increases at reasonable percentages, which would force towns to manage expenditures more responsibly. He has a legislative record on reforming 8-30g to protect the zoning process. Finally, Sen. Fazio has publicly questioned the proliferation of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) such as Flock, raising important questions about government surveillance, civil liberties and the unprotected sharing of data.

After eight years with Gov. Lamont, our lives have become less affordable, and our towns are struggling.

We believe Ryan Fazio understands the challenges Connecticut residents face, and offers an opportunity for meaningful change. We encourage West Hartford residents to support him for Governor this November.

Respectfully,

Your West Hartford Republican Town Council Caucus
John Lyons, Minority Leader
Dr. Jason Wang, Town Councilor
Dr. Gayle Harris, Town Councilor