Update from Rep. Rosa Rebimbas Regarding Public Hearings

Please see below for information on two major public hearings taking place this Monday, March 15!

1. Finance, Revenue, & Bonding: NEW STATEWIDE Property Tax Proposals
2. Planning & Development: Bills Affecting Local Control of Local Zoning

These bills, introduced by Democratic legislators in the majority, could directly affect Naugatuck residents and businesses, so I urge you to read this information carefully and consider testifying in opposition to these bill proposals.

FINANCE, REVENUE, & BONDING PUBLIC HEARING

SUMMARY OF BILLS
Summary: This bill would create a one-mill state-wide property tax on all residential and commercial property. The language does exempt the first $300,000 from taxation, meaning only the value above this amount would be taxed. However, the exemption applies to residential property only, meaning any commercial property, regardless of value, would be taxable (i.e. a commercial building valued at $150,000 would be fully taxed under this new law).
S.B. 172 - An Act Establishing a State-wide Assessment to Encourage Affordable Housing in the State
Summary: This bill would created a tiered tax on residential and commercial property based on a town's level of affordable housing. The schedule would be as follows:
If a town provides...

• at least 10% affordable housing: no tax would apply
• between 8% and <10% affordable housing: 4/10ths of one mill rate applies
• between 6% and <8% affordable housing: 8/10ths of one mill rate applies
• between 4% and <6% affordable housing: 1 and 2/10ths mill rate applies
• between 2% and <4% affordable housing: 1 and 6/10ths mill rate applies
• between 0% and <2% affordable housing: 2 mills rate applies

Note: Similar to SB 171, the first $300,000 of the property's value would be exempt from this tax, but the exemption only applies to residential property. Commercial property will be assessed for its full value.
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Similar to the zoning bills on Monday's Planning and Development public hearing agenda, these bills aim to address the issue of affordable housing. Creating more affordable housing should be a priority for all 169 municipalities across Connecticut, but these proposals seem to create more problems than they solve.
I encourage you to read these bills (click on bill numbers above for the links) and arrive at your own conclusions.
If you would like to testify on either or both of these bills, see the instructions below.

TAKE ACTION!
9:00 AM Hearing on Monday, March 15!
TESTIFY LIVE VIA ZOOM:
DEADLINE to register is 3:00 p.m. this Sunday, March 14.
IT’S EASY ON ZOOM. You will get three minutes to speak. As a reminder, the first hour of the hearing will be reserved for public officials.
A Speaker Order List will be posted on the Finance, Revenue, & Bonding Committee website at 9:00 a.m. on March 15. Look under "Public Hearing Testimony".
You may also watch the hearing live on YouTube.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

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SUBMIT WRITTEN TESTIMONY:
To submit written testimony, please email your submission (Word or PDF format) to FINtestimony@cga.ct.gov. Please include your name and in the subject line, please state "NO to Bills 171 and 172".
NOTE: ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE PUBLIC INFORMATION AND WILL BE POSTED ONLINE. DO NOT INCLUDE PERSONAL INFORMATION YOU DO NOT WANT MADE PUBLIC.
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TESTIFY by PHONE:
For those of you without internet access, you may call the Phone Registrant Line at (860) 240-0462 to leave your contact information.

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC HEARING

SUMMARY OF BILLS
Summary: One of the key proposals in SB 1024 would allow any property within a half-mile radius of a train station to be developed with up to four units of housing on that property " as of right". This would be in place of a single family home and notably with no permission needed from local planning and zoning commissions.
Other proposals in this legislation:
· Eliminates local control by allowing certain types of development to take place, overriding local zoning authority and without a public hearing
· Creates new mandates on municipalities
· Affects traffic flow and parking demand
· Potentially increases residency at a rate outpacing the capacity of public services and schools
· Requires specific types and design of development in “Main Street” corridors and surrounding bus and rail transit stations
IMPORTANT!
SB 1024 is a compilation of various bills that are on the agenda for Monday's hearing. While SB 1024 is the primary bill of concern, there are other proposals on the agenda which, collectively speaking, will have a similar impact on local zoning and land use autonomy. These bills also require our attention (10 bills in total, including SB 1024), so I encourage you to learn more about each one by viewing the public hearing agenda.

The need for more affordable housing in Connecticut must be addressed - however, SB 1024 does little to increase housing affordability and nothing to help those in greatest need of improved housing and better educational opportunities. Instead, it creates a “top down” approach to centralize zoning and development – and even building and street design – at the state level, disregarding needs specific to each community. If the goal is to help disadvantaged residents and improve economic mobility, this bill misses the mark.
When it comes to development, local residents - not the state - know what works best for our communities. I strongly encourage you to provide testimony in writing and/or virtually. We need to push back against more state interference in local affairs and preserve the “home rule” structure that makes each of our 169 towns unique.

TAKE ACTION!
10:00 AM Hearing on Monday, March 15!
TESTIFY LIVE VIA ZOOM:
DEADLINE to register is 3:00 p.m. this Sunday, March 14.
IT’S EASY ON ZOOM. You will get three minutes to speak. As a reminder, the first hour of the hearing will be reserved for public officials.
A Speaker Order List will be posted on the Planning & Zoning Committee website at 8:00 p.m. on March 14. Look under "Public Hearing Testimony".
You may also watch the hearing live on YouTube.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

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SUBMIT WRITTEN TESTIMONY:
To submit written testimony, please email a your submission (Word or PDF format) to PDtestimony@cga.ct.gov. Please include your name and in the subject line, please state "NO to Bill(s) 1024, [insert bill numbers]".
NOTE: ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE PUBLIC INFORMATION AND WILL BE POSTED ONLINE. DO NOT INCLUDE PERSONAL INFORMATION YOU DO NOT WANT MADE PUBLIC.
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TESTIFY by PHONE:
For those of you without internet access, you may call the Phone Registrant Line at (203) 350-3769 to leave your contact information.

If you have any questions about how these bills or how to testify, please reach out to me. I am happy to discuss these proposals and walk you through the testimony registration process.
I also encourage you to share this information with anyone who may not be on my email list. It is important that we make everyone in Naugatuck aware of these bills and their potential impact on our community.
Email: Rosa.Rebimbas@housegop.ct.gov

Sincerely,

State Rep. Rosa C. Rebimbas
Deputy House Republican Leader
70th General Assembly District
Naugatuck

800-842-1423 (Toll Free) | 860-240-8700 (Local) | 860-240-0207 (Fax)

Legislative Office Building
300 Capitol Avenue, Room 4200
Hartford, CT 06106