March 28, 2014
State Representatives Gregg Haddad (D-Mansfield) and Mae Flexer (D-Plainfield, Killingly) voted in the Appropriations Committee on a budget adjustment bill that would increase state funding to Mansfield and Windham.
The increase is due to additional Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) funds Included in the budget adjustment. Municipalities receive PILOT payments for property owned and used by the State of Connecticut. The payment is equal to a percentage of the amount of taxes that would be paid if the property were not exempt from taxation.
Mansfield would receive an additional $922,000 than what is included in the governor's budget. The three northeast legislators who are members of the committee voted on bill H.B. 5030 that added $5 million to the state PILOT pool, in addition to an additional $8 million to the state hospital PILOT.
"The PILOT money coming to Mansfield is very important. Mansfield is responsible for providing critical services that support UConn and it is equally important that Mansfield be fairly compensated for that," said Rep. Haddad. "The committee has been working very hard and the result is a very promising step forward."
"I was proud to partner with Representatives Gregg Haddad and Linda Orange to include more funding from PILOT," said Rep. Mae Flexer, Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee. "This will have a dramatic impact on the budgets of the towns that host our state's facilities."
155 communities would see an increase in municipal aid due to these proposed changes to the budget.