Let’s follow the money through the conversations had within recent interviews and town mayoral debates. In a press release put out by Dr. David Chess, Democratic candidate for mayor, he claims that money has not been collected over the years from corporate businesses dating back to 2019.
How much? He claims that we, as a town, have lost $58 million in corporate taxes since 2019. But why and how?
In a recent interview with News 12, the issue of tax revenue came up in the discussion around the remediation of the Army Engine Plant and business development there. Mayor Hoydick stated, “The developer that proposed in 2013 had a multiuse complex: retail, commercial, entertainment, and everyone loves that, just like what happened at Stratford Point, and that’s who the developer is. But the market isn’t calling for that right now, and we are lucky enough to be a little flexible right now, the developer is on what they are putting there.” Before Dr. Chess provides his vision for the neglected plant, she goes on to say, “And that kind of business development will be beneficial for Stratford in terms of building development, is gonna be beneficial for Stratford as far as tax revenue, which we need.”
Dr. Chess offered the following response after Mayor Hoydick’s answer: “There aren’t many towns like us to have had our Grand List shrink. It went down $1,000,000 this last year.”
Follow the money, and there is so much within our local government that is public knowledge, if only, we knew where to look. Even more than knowing where to look, the information isn’t always easy to understand or digest. We can talk to our neighbors and politicians to better understand the details, but we must ask the questions. As my grandmother would say, “Search and you will find.”
We must ask the questions, and understand where the money, our money goes. Do you know what or how the mill rate is calculated? Or why it is important that corporate taxes are collected? Within this article are helpful links so we, as a community with an important decision to make in a little over two weeks, can make the decision with the necessary information and understanding of the details.
It all matters, as does your vote on November 4th (or even before when early voting begins tomorrow)! Our local government choices are equally as important as our national ones. Our daily lives are affected by them.
The Stratford Crier, in the writing of this article, could not find a response from Mayor Hoydick regarding the Grand List, nor did she address the $1,000,000 deficit in her interview with News 12.
