DoingItLocal

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today unveiled his first package of legislative proposals for the 2022 regular session, which includes a series of tax cuts that will provide approximately $336 million in relief for Connecticut residents.

The governor said that he is proposing the tax cut package as the state is projecting an operating surplus of $1.48 billion, which will enable a significant reduction in the one-time revenues built into the enacted budget and will continue to ensure the state has a strong rainy day fund.

“When I took office three years ago, Connecticut had a $3.7 billion deficit with projected deficits for many years to come, and for the sake of our economic future I made it a commitment to turn that instability around and strengthen our state’s fiscal health,” Governor Lamont said. “Today, Connecticut has a surplus, and we did it without broad-based tax increases, and while making an historic investment in our pension obligations and leaving the rainy day fund untouched. Connecticut’s fiscal health is stronger than it’s been in decades, and now we can move toward the next phase of the Connecticut comeback – cutting taxes for the people who live here.

“I asked our budget analysts to run some numbers to determine how we can cut taxes in a realistic way that won’t negatively impact the strong fiscal standing we’ve created, while targeting those cuts for those who can benefit most. I’m hopeful that the legislature will agree that these cuts can provide relief, and this package can be the first in a series in the coming years as we continue bringing Connecticut’s fiscal stability on more and more solid ground.”

Governor Lamont’s tax cut proposal includes five parts:

Restore full eligibility for the property tax credit (estimated impact: 500,000 people)The governor is asking the legislature to immediately restore full eligibility for the property tax credit beginning in income year 2022. Under current state law, the property tax credit is limited to those over the age of 65 or those with dependents. Expanding the credit to all adults within the current income limits ($109,500 for single filers/$130,500 for joint filers) will have an estimated fiscal impact to the state of $53 million.
Increase the property tax credit from $200 to $300 (estimated impact: 1.1 million people)In addition to restoring the property tax credit to full eligibility, Governor Lamont is proposing to increase the credit from its current rate of $200 to a maximum of $300 per filer. Increasing the property tax credit to $300 will have an estimated fiscal impact to the state of $70 million.
Accelerate the planned phase-in of the pensions and annuities exemption from income taxes (estimated impact: 250,000 people)The governor is proposing to accelerate by three years – from 2025 to 2022 – the planned phase-in of the pensions and annuities exemption under the state income tax. Under current state law, income year 2022 is scheduled for a 56% exemption as the fourth year of a seven-year phase-in of the exemption, which is scheduled to reach 100% by 2025. Single filers with an adjusted gross income less than $75,000 and joint filers with less than $100,000 qualify for the exemption. Accelerating the exemption three years earlier will have an estimated fiscal impact to the state of $42.9 million in FY 2023, declining to $0 in FY 2026 as the existing phase-in is already assumed in the consensus forecast.
Expand student loan tax credit (estimated impact: up to 32,000 people)The governor is proposing to expand a student loan tax credit that he championed and was adopted in 2019, which gives employers a 50% tax credit on up to $5,250 in payments toward an employee’s student loan. The program would leverage business expenditures alongside the state tax credit to significantly expand eligibility to all loans issued by the Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority (CHESLA). The change would be retroactive to January 1, 2022 and will have an estimated fiscal impact of $9.4 million.
Reduce motor vehicle property taxes (estimated impact: 1.7 million vehicles, which amounts to 77% of vehicles in the state)Governor Lamont is asking the legislature to approve a law that will lower the mill rate cap on motor vehicle property taxes from 45 mills to 29 mills and reimburse local governments for the resulting revenue impact. A 29-mill cap on all motor vehicles will provide property tax relief for over 1.7 million vehicles in 103 towns and cities, including 20 of the 25 distressed municipalities. This would continue to apply to passenger, commercial, and combination vehicles. Reimbursements to municipalities would cost an additional $160.4 million above the current appropriation.

HARTFORD—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Thursday held a press conference in Hartford urging Connecticut residents to file their taxes as soon as possible, amid an unprecedented U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) backlog. Given the agency’s chronic underfunding and challenges brought by COVID-19, Murphy and Blumenthal this week called on the IRS to provide penalty relief for frustrated taxpayers who have been unable to receive help. The senators also urged the U.S. Department of the Treasury to increase funding for the IRS, which would improve taxpayer services and modernize IT systems to file taxes and claim refunds. Taxpayers can begin filing their 2021 taxes as early as this week. 

“This is going to be challenging tax year, in part because the IRS is understaffed and using decades old technology that’s not keeping up with the pace of returns. We are going to continue pressing our colleagues to allocate additional resources to the IRS so that they can process these returns quickly, update their technology, and go after the big tax cheats. And we’re hoping that the IRS is going to take some steps in the short run to be able to process these claims faster,” said Murphy. “We’re pushing the IRS to be better this tax season to be able to get those returns turned around quickly.”

“Taxpayers deserve a responsive IRS that will promptly process their refunds while making cracking down on tax cheats.  IRS needs more resources to make up for years of reduced funding and staff at a time when the number of tax filers has increased,” said Blumenthal.

In a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Murphy and Blumenthal on Thursday expressed concern that persistent underfunding of the IRS will have negative effects on American taxpayers and called for a minimum 14% increase in annual IRS funding, and an $80 billion investment over 10 years.

This week, Murphy and Blumenthal called on the IRS to provide penalty relief for taxpayers amid extensive, ongoing processing backlogs at the IRS. As of late December 2021, the IRS continued to have a backlog of 6 million individual income tax returns and 2.3 million amended individual tax returns.

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2022-02-01@7:30PMish–#Bridgeport CT– Police are looking for a silver Audi with four black males with mask, glove and skullies according to radio reports for a purse snatching that took place at Stop and Shop on Villa Avenue. They are also wanted for a strong armed robbery on Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport. Of course there was no notification on that one.

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2022-02-01@4:30pm–Report of a four car accident on Barnum and East Main Street.

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2022-02-01@12:18pm–#Fairfield CT– Report of an air compressor taken from construction site on Bronson Road.

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Stratford Residents 

STRATFORD — Stratford residents with a hearing impairment may now have smoke detectors designed especially for them installed in their home by Stratford Fire Department personnel completely free of charge. 

The Stratford Fire Marshal’s Office and the Town of Stratford Community and Senior Services Department recently announced the launch of this public safety program called Flash Shake and Awake. The public is invited to call, order their complimentary devices and arrange for a fire prevention staff member to visit the residence and make the quick professional installation.  

Flash, Shake and Awake provides and installs a special bed shaker device that is designed to awaken and alert deaf and hearing-impaired individuals when a smoke / CO alarm is activated inside the home. The fire prevention staff will install the smoke / CO detectors along with the bed shaker. 

This free public service was made possible by a Fire Prevention and Safety Grant of $60,800 from U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency / FEMA, which the Town applied for and won in a competitive grant program. 

Stratford Fire Marshal Robert Daniel said, “Smoke alarms save lives every day, and they only save lives when they are heard and effectively alert the residents. With this program the Town of Stratford is targeting a vulnerable population — the hearing impaired. The Stratford Fire Marshal’s office is very grateful and excited to institute this life-saving program on behalf of our residents.” 

Said Mayor Laura R. Hoydick, “I am grateful to our federal partners at FEMA for providing this funding so that our Fire Prevention staff can bring this innovative alarm technology free of charge into the homes of our residents who suffer with hearing impairment, most of whom are senior citizens. I am also grateful to our Fire Department commanders and staff for their constant work to find additional ways to protect our residents and businesses. This is something our entire Stratford community should be proud of; I certainly am.” 

Stratford residents are urged to contact the Stratford Fire Marshal’s Office at 203-385-4073 and mention Flash Shake and Awake. The department will protect the confidentiality of all who participate. 

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HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced the launch of a website for the recently formed Connecticut Hate Crimes Advisory Council. Located at portal.ct.gov/hatecrimes, the website provides state residents with information regarding the group, which was created as a result of legislation that Governor Lamont signed into law last year.

“This recently formed council consists of a diverse group of members who have volunteered their time to provide the state with their insights so that we can establish policies that combat hate crimes and ensure that appropriate actions are taken as we continue to face these unfortunate and unlawful events,” Governor Lamont said. “Nobody should live in fear of being the victim of a crime because of who they are, and I will be relying on their recommendations for ways that we can improve our policies and laws on hate crimes.”

The council is responsible for encouraging and coordinating programs that increase community awareness and reporting of hate crimes and to combat such crimes. It also can make recommendations for legislation, including on the reporting, investigation, and prosecution of hate crimes, restitution for victims of hate crimes, community service designed to remedy damage caused by hate crimes, and additional alternative sentencing programs for first-time offenders and juvenile offenders involved in hate crimes.

The council consists of 33 members, 9 of whom are ex-officio and the remainder appointed by the governor. It is housed within the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney.

Its next meeting, which will be held remotely, is scheduled for Friday, February 18, 2022, at 2:15 p.m. More information on its meetings, including links to watch remote meetings live online, can be found on the council’s website.

To report a hate crime, contact local police or 1-800-CALL-FBI, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously.

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2022-01-31@5:44pm–#Stratford CT– #ctfire– Firefighters on scene of a chimney fire on Brenair Terrace. Fire is reported to be out.

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Westport Fire Department UPDATE:
At approximately 4:32 PM, Westport units were dispatched to a report of a chimney fire at 32 Westway Road. The occupant reported that they observed flames on the exterior chimney of a wood burning stove. First arriving units reported a working fire on the rear outside wall of the house. After confirming that all occupants were out of the house, a hose line was stretched into the house. On scene, firefighters opened up walls on two floors of the house and found active fire burning on the first floor and extending up the walls into the second floor. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and checked for further fire spread. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Westport Fire Marshal’s Office. Mutual Aid was provided by Fairfield Fire Department for a rapid intervention team and Norwalk Fire Department for station coverage.

2022-01-31@4:44pm–#Westport CT–#ctfire– Firefighters on scene on Westway Road where a chimney fire extension extended into the home.

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