Oxford First Selectman: 'Fundamental Unfairness Inherent' in Malloy's Budget Proposal

HARTFORD – Oxford First Selectman George R. Temple on Monday appeared before the legislature’s Appropriations Committee to oppose Governor Malloy’s proposed state budget cuts.

The committee held a public hearing on House Bill No. 5701 concerning the timing and adoption of the education cost-sharing grant and municipal aid funding by the General Assembly.

Temple issued the following statement to the legislators:

“I am here to address a fundamental unfairness inherent in the Governor’s proposed budget,'' said Temple. "Oxford is the poster child for his cut in aid to municipalities. First of all, it is a misnomer to call returning money to the towns as aid. Oxford more than pays its fair share in revenue to the state. Oxford also has the state’s second largest airport, but doesn’t even receive rent from the property, no less the once promised payment in lieu of taxes.

"I do not come here today to seek a handout, but under the Governor’s proposal our town stands to receive cuts in the amount of 76.4%. Included in this figure is an 89.7% cut in educational funding, a complete elimination of grants for municipal projects and total funding for resident trooper expenses. Our contribution for teacher’s retirement would be $ 1,330,447. To address this additional burden to the town would require a 15.86% tax municipal tax increase. Such an increase would have a devastating effect on economic development in Oxford because low and stable taxes is the engine that drives.

We pay pistol permit fees, automobile registration fees, boating license fees, boating registration fees, occupational fees, property conveyance fees, probate fees, court fees ,automobile license fees, recording fees, corporate fees, and hunting and fishing fees to name a few. We buy lotto tickets, visit the casinos and OTB.

We pay gasoline taxes, liquor taxes, tobacco taxes, road use taxes, corporate taxes, sales taxes and the ever popular income taxes. I am sure that there are taxes that we pay that we don’t even know about.

Oxford will always be willing to pay our fair share, that is in our nature. All we are asking is that you consider our contribution to the state and be fair to us. Send us back what amounts to a small fraction of what we send to Hartford so that we can be safe and educate our kids without further burdening our tax payers.

Written by Brian McCready (Patch National Staff)

(Editor's Note: This story first ran previously but here it is again in case you missed it.)