Sometimes when you vote, both choices are so noxious that you feel like holding your nose. It happened to me last week, when I cast my vote as a Rocky Hill Town Council member for the Town’s 2025-2026 budget.
If “kicking the can down the road” were an Olympic sport, this budget would be a gold-medal contender. The Town Manager’s proposed budget was already very lean, but the Republican majority assembled a list of cuts that included a $300,000 reduction for road maintenance, a $732,000 reduction from the Town’s recommended contribution to its pension fund, a $300,000 reduction to the Board of Education, and a $150,000 reduction to building improvements. This budget aims to hold the Town together with duct tape and zip ties.
So, why, you may ask, did I vote yes? I put my strong reservations on the record before I cast my vote. As I explained, I realize that many of our homeowners are still reeling from the heavy tax increase they suffered a year ago after the townwide property revaluation. People need another year to readjust. I understand that the overriding priority this year was to keep any tax increase to a bare minimum.
But as I also explained, we are setting ourselves up for a major course correction next year. We can’t repeatedly underfund our pension plan. We can’t indefinitely defer road maintenance and building improvements. We can’t maintain a virtual hiring freeze in a growing town with growing demand for Town services.
And we should not accept a zero-growth Grand List, which Rocky Hill has endured for at least four years now. When a town fails to add taxable property to its base year after year, the existing taxpayers get slammed.
So, weighing all of this, I held my nose and voted yes. But, speaking as a lifelong Mets fan, I can only say – wait till next year.
Residents face rising taxes and shrinking benefits
As town budget season approaches, Rocky Hill residents prepare for yet another property tax increase – the sixth consecutive year for most homeowners. Many are questioning why their tax bills keep climbing while town services remain stagnant or face cuts. According to a recent presentation by the Tax Assessor at the February 18th Town Council meeting, Rocky Hill actually saw a 0.59% drop in total real estate assessed values and an overall grand list decrease of 1.26% year-over-year. This declining tax base, combined with unavoidable increases in town expenses, means one thing: residents will pay more, potentially while receiving less.
Town departments have reportedly received direction from leadership to maintain zero budget increases, forcing them to cut services or positions to accommodate contractually obligated wage increases. Even as services and positions are squeezed, the tax burden increases: the Board of Education’s 4.9% budget increase – driven entirely by essential salary and maintenance needs with no new teachers or programs – will further burden taxpayers.
At risk is the decline of town services and personnel, including:
Fewer staff to maintain our treasured institutions; for example, the library’s budget is lower now than in 2018 and hasn’t filled vacant positions, yet we are asking our librarians to do more with fewer employees.
A reduction in overtime payments for public works the last two years has resulted in delayed leaf pickup, frustrating homeowners, and clogging storm drains.
A badly deteriorated public pool, with costly repairs on the horizon.
Republican tax abatements favor developers over residents
While residents face mounting tax pressures, the Republican-majority on the Town Council has made decisions that worsen the situation. The most glaring example is the infamous Ames/Kelson Row tax abatement – what many have called a “sweetheart deal” that benefits developers at taxpayers’ expense.
The multi-million dollar redevelopment of the former Ames Department Store headquarters on Main Street should have significantly boosted Rocky Hill’s tax revenues. Instead, the Republican-majority on the Town Council unanimously approved (while Democrats unanimously opposed) a tax abatement that locks in the developer’s annual tax payment at just $80,000 for years, with full assessed value taxation not beginning until 2034!
To put this in perspective: Rocky Hill’s newest apartment complexes (Montage and Alterra) are assessed at approximately $153,125 per unit, generating significant tax revenue. If Kelson Row’s 225 luxury apartments were taxed at comparable rates, they would contribute over $34 million to our grand list and over $1 million annually in tax revenue when fully completed.
Even with just the 85 leased and near-completion apartments, Kelson Row would be contributing at least $13 million to our grand list and approximately $379,666 in annual tax revenue – mostly offsetting this year’s real estate assessment decline.
Democrats support common sense and fair development practices
Democrats on the Town Council have consistently advocated for responsible development policies that ensure new projects contribute their fair share to town finances. Rather than excessive tax abatements that shift burdens to residents, Democrats support balanced approaches that both attract development and protect taxpayers.
A Democratic approach to abatement would:
Require fair taxation of new developments based on comparable properties
Implement reasonable, time-limited abatements that don’t take a decade to payoff
Focus tax incentives on projects that deliver clear community benefits beyond developer profits
This balanced and consistent approach would increase Rocky Hill’s attractiveness to developers while ensuring they contribute appropriately to the community’s financial health.
Rocky Hill Democrats support fair development that benefits all residents by ensuring equitable tax distribution and protecting residential taxpayers.
The Kelson Row situation exemplifies the fundamental difference in governing philosophy. Rather than celebrating one-off development projects that don’t pay their fair share, Democrats advocate for sustainable growth strategies that strengthen our tax base for the long term, fund essential services, and prevent the continuous cycle of residential tax increases.
What You Can Do
As Rocky Hill faces another difficult budget season, residents have the power to make their voices heard:
Attend upcoming budget hearings and speak during public comment periods
Contact your Town Council representatives and:
express your concerns about continuous tax increases
ask them to explain how the Kelson Row abatement benefits ordinary taxpayers
Follow Democratic candidates who are committed to fair taxation and responsible development
It’s time for Rocky Hill to pursue development that truly benefits everyone – not just developers receiving special tax treatment while residents shoulder the growing burden.
