Dr. M. Saud Anwar
By now everyone knows that South Windsor, like every other town in CT, faces some daunting challenges. It is important that we look for solutions, not only for the present, but for the foreseeable future. For example, residential taxes remain the overwhelming source of income for the town. While the grand list has not increased significantly, expenses continue to rise. Only eighteen percent of the town’s revenue is generated by business and industry. According to the Connecticut Department of Labor, the number of business related jobs has not increased significantly over the past 10 years. In addition, those jobs that have been created are paying $11,000 per year less than the Connecticut average.
South Windsor has ongoing fiscal, essential services and recreational challenges that will have to be addressed, such as: strengthening our infrastructure, school improvement and the support of quality education, care of an aging population and responding to the specific needs of various segments of our population. In order to proceed, we must identify and implement ways of generating revenue. Otherwise, homeowners, like you and me, will continue to assume most of the tax burden.
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I believe that South Windsor has an opportunity to enhance revenue and reduce residential taxes by attracting more business and industry to our town. Several factors make South Windsor a prime location for business and industry. Our town is strategically located between Hartford and Springfield. Route 5 and Sullivan Ave. are outstanding corridors for business, providing a steady flow of traffic and easy access. We have space suitable for building without compromising the unique “footprint” of the town. Appropriate incentives, State grants and a proactive approach to attracting business and industry could result in unprecedented jobs and significant income for our town.
By changing our town’s balance of revenue generation, it is possible that we can meet the needs of our town without requiring our residents to bear the entire burden of taxation. Challenges bring opportunities and opportunities generate solutions. As long as we work together, we can maintain the quality of life that makes South Windsor one of Connecticut’s finest places to live.
