By Paul Tarbox
I attended a meeting Jan. 9 of the Orange Board of Selectmen to advocate for a local optional veterans’ property tax exemption to be sent to a public hearing. In a meeting the month before I had requested a change in the ordinance, which would eliminate an arbitrary income cap (for 2018, $35,300 for individuals and $43,000 for married couples). Originally this cap was part of the state law that allows municipalities to give the exemption, but was removed by the legislature in the last session session through Public Act 18-102. The law now allows municipalities to set the income limit or to remove it entirely.
During the meeting, selectman Mitch Goldblatt raised a concern that the ensuing fiscal impact would be an undue burden on the rest of the taxpaying citizens of the town. He further questioned whether the policy change was necessary because some veterans have higher incomes and may not need the benefit of the exemption. While those are valid concerns, I cannot agree with Goldblatt’s reasoning.
Veterans are a unique group in the fabric of society. They come from every conceivable background, race, religion and social status. The common thread that unites them is that they joined the military to change the world in spite of the knowledge that they may have to sacrifice their lives in the process. These brave young men and women are the chosen few who have sacrificed to preserve our democracy and way of life.
Veterans are becoming a rarity. According to the Department of Defense, less than one-half of 1 percent of the population is currently on active duty. In 1980 over 18 percent of the population had served in the military. By 2016 that number had dropped to just over 7 percent. The Department of Veterans Affairs projects that by 2045 the number of veterans will be reduced by 40 percent.
When a community chooses to give tax exemptions it is usually for one of two reasons. The first is to target a needy population, such as seniors on a fixed income. The second is to recognize a service provided, such as by providing tax abatements for local firefighters. When a firefighter rushes into a burning house there is no income verification for the ability to be heroic.
The same holds true for veterans. As someone who has served in an active war zone and lost friends, I can attest that the dangers of combat do not care how much money is in someone’s bank account.
Goldblatt questioned whether the additional cost of the veterans’ exemption was a good strategic investment for the town. I believe it is in our interests as a community for this exemption and the firefighter abatement to be maintained without regard to income, as both a recruiting and retention tool for those who seek to join our fire departments and the military.
As George Washington said, “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by our nation.”
Paul Tarbox is an Orange resident and serves as a Clerk of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the Connecticut General Assembly. He is a Trustee of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs.