By Kathy Kennedy
State Rep., R-119
Kathy Kennedy
For months now, folks across Connecticut have been hearing the same thing: help is on the way. People were told – pretty plainly – that tax relief was coming, maybe even in the form of rebate checks showing up in their mailbox. That sounded like real, tangible help at a time when families are feeling squeezed from every direction.
Well, that didn’t happen.
The final budget deal between the governor and legislative leaders dropped that idea altogether. Instead of putting money directly back into people’s pockets, the plan sends hundreds of millions of dollars to municipalities and hopes local officials can keep property taxes from going up.
Maybe they will – but there’s no guarantee. And “maybe” isn’t much comfort when your bills are already piling up.
Let’s call it what it is: there’s no broad-based tax relief in this budget.
Families are still dealing with higher grocery bills, rising energy costs and property taxes that never seem to go down. What they needed was something direct and dependable – real relief they could count on. Not a promise that things might not get worse.
And here’s another issue that doesn’t sit right. A big chunk of the new funding is headed to the state’s largest cities – Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport. Those cities absolutely have challenges, no question about it. But towns like Milford and Orange are feeling the strain too. Costs are going up everywhere, not just in big cities. Our residents pay their fair share, and they deserve to see that reflected in how state dollars are handed out.
There are also hundreds of millions being set aside for a child care endowment fund. Investing in childcare is a good thing – we all know families need support there. But it’s hard to square that with all the talk we heard not long ago about budget shortfalls. And it’s even harder when taxpayers were told relief was right around the corner.
Connecticut had a real opportunity this year. Revenues came in stronger than expected. That could have been the moment to make lasting changes: cut income taxes, ease the burden on property taxes and give working families some breathing room.
Instead, we got a plan that feels like a patch, not a fix. I did ultimately support the budget proposal due to the new additional money given to both Milford and Orange; we need every dollar they can send us.
I’m going to keep pushing for policies that actually help people – not just sound good on paper. Families in Milford, Orange and across Connecticut aren’t asking for miracles. They’re asking for a little fairness and some real relief they can see and feel.
Affordability isn’t just a talking point – it’s a daily reality. And right now, too many people are still waiting for that relief to show up.