CPOA's President is Correct

FRANKSMITHSAYSNB EDITORIAL:

Mayor O'Brien states that the Reevaluation of city real estate will see lower taxes, however, Nick Mercier, the President of the New Britain's CPOA, states that the grand list will be smaller. Therefore, we will have to raise taxes or cut spending as Mercier further states.

Now Phil Sherwood, O'Brien's Deputy chief of Staff, is on the attack by claiming Mercier has it wrong again.

Nick is correct that with property values plummeting down twenty to twenty five percent, the mil rate will have to be increased or drastic spending cuts will have to occur.

One cut should be made right away when many are asking why the need for an assistant Deputy chief of staff that draws $86,000 per year--a cut the taxpayers would save happily.

Another attack that surfaced came from the Democratic party Chairperson, Mr. McNamara, citing that absentee landlords are fighting the two new ordinances and the party chairman claiming that the landlords are making outrageous lies about the ordinances and who would be effected by it.

The imposed $150 annual fee per apartment for absentee landlords will affect the tenants adversely and please note that many of the so called absentee landlords do live in the city.

The Mayor calls it a fee and not a tax since he had promised to not raise taxes, when he was campaigning but, opted to impose this fee on a selective group of taxpayers and to not all taxpayers--------Unconstitutional ???

That is why the city is facing two court injunctions costing the city's taxpayers large amounts of dollars that could have been avoided if the common council had approved two legal resolutions instead.

If Mayor O'Brien is completely sincere to do what is right for the electorate then he should order a repeal of these two adverse ordinances by the city's common council membership.