State Senator Eric D. Coleman
April 20, 2009
Coleman Says Regionalization Will Help Cities Save Money and Maintain Services
Regional efforts outlined in new podcast from Senate Democrats
The co-chair of the Planning and Development Committee Senator Eric Coleman (D-Bloomfield) says during these difficult financial ties, regionalization is one way to help cities and towns across Connecticut save money and help maintain services. Senator Coleman will discuss regionalization in a new podcast that is now available from the Senate Democrats.
“Particularly this year, I think regional efforts will have some impact on not only the fiscal health of the state but the fiscal health of municipalities as well,” said Senator Coleman. “The committee is promoting incentives to encourage municipalities within a region to cooperate and collaborate concerning such things as pooling efforts to purchase goods and to provide services and programs. It is envisioned that such approaches will result in cost savings and greater efficiencies.”
The podcast is available on Senator Coleman’s Web page.
The committee has already approved several bills that promote regionalism and smart growth initiatives. SB384 An Act Promoting Regionalism in the State and H.B. 6585 An Act Concerning Regionalism are designed to promote regional cooperation among municipalities through voluntary incentive programs. If the cities and towns agree on the location of future economic development and refrain from competing with one another for new economic development, then they would be able to share in the property taxes generated from that new economic development and receive a share of the sales tax revenue as well.
“The Planning and Development Committee has acted on an approach to regionalism that is designed to encourage more regional cooperation with 1) development and to lessen unmanaged projects that were driven by the need to generate property tax revenue; 2) the pooling of efforts and resources for the purchase of goods, material and equipment as well as the provision of programs and services; and, 3) enabling greater flexibility with respect to local tax structures with consideration toward the implementation of local hotel, sales and revenue sharing tax programs” said Senator Coleman.
|
Senator Coleman’s |
Listing of Senator Coleman’s recent press releases and a Press Kit with official head shots and bio. |
Press Aide Derek Slap |
