Connecticut’s Tax-and-Spend Session: It’s Time for A Reality Check

This year’s short legislative session once again proved that one-party rule in Hartford comes at a steep cost to Greenwich taxpayers. While Democrats claimed they were focused on affordability, the record shows otherwise.

One of the most direct hits to family budgets came through the Public Benefits Charge on electric bills. This surcharge was increased again this year. It now funds an expanding list of state programs and renewable energy mandates. Connecticut already has some of the highest electric rates in the country. Rather than protecting families from these rising costs, Hector Arzeno and Steve Meskers supported the increase. Tina Courpas and Ryan Fazio opposed the increase and offered amendments to cap the charge and protect taxpayers.

The budget was no better. Democrats pushed through hundreds of millions in new state spending, including major increases in education aid and early childhood programs. These were not decisions made locally by communities based on their own needs. They were dictated from Hartford by a Democratic supermajority that continues to spend other people’s money — including ours. Hector Arzeno and Steve Meskers backed this approach. Tina Courpas and Ryan Fazio opposed the budget and pushed back against the unchecked expansion of state spending.

At the same time, the majority advanced regional mandates that pressure towns to surrender authority over zoning and local services. These measures override local charters and reduce our ability to manage growth on our own terms. Hector Arzeno and Steve Meskers supported these expansions of state power. Tina Courpas and Ryan Fazio opposed the mandates and defended local control.

The pattern is clear. On issue after issue this session — higher hidden charges on our electric bills, increased state spending funded by our taxes, and the erosion of local control — Hector Arzeno and Steve Meskers sided with the Democratic majority; not Greenwich residents. Tina Courpas and Ryan Fazio consistently stood up for taxpayers, fought for lower costs, and defended our community’s right to govern itself.

Hector Arzeno and Steve Meskers have aligned themselves with the same failed approach that continues to drive up costs for Greenwich families while weakening our town’s ability to govern itself. Tina Courpas has proven she will fight those policies in the House. Ryan Fazio has proven he will fight them in the Senate — and he is now taking that fight directly to Ned Lamont and the Governor’s office.