FIRST SELECTMAN HERBST COMMENTS ON STATE BUDGET AND IMPACT TO TOWN OF TRUMBULL
Herbst: “Given the thousands of Trumbull residents who work for General Electric and those other companies threatening to leave Connecticut, this budget as adopted, will adversely harm Trumbull residents.”
June 5, 2015 - - First Selectman Timothy M. Herbst on Friday offered comment on the recently adopted state budget and comments made by General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt, regarding the likelihood that General Electric will be leaving the State of Connecticut, in an attempt to seek, as Immelt said, a “more pro-business environment.” The First Selectman was very clear that the adopted budget will adversely harm the residents of Trumbull. “Given the thousands of Trumbull residents who work for General Electric and those other companies threatening to leave Connecticut, this budget as adopted, will adversely harm Trumbull residents,” stated First Selectman Herbst. “Make no mistake, if General Electric leaves Connecticut, Trumbull residents will either lose their jobs or be forced to leave the Town and relocate to another state for work. Mr. Immelt indicated that General Electric has seen their taxes increased 5 times since 2011. This is not how you treat job creators and those that employ people. I am intensely concerned for my constituents that are impacted by this budget.” The First Selectman noted that the budget would also adversely impact Trumbull’s largest taxpayer - - the Westfield Trumbull Mall.
“The tax increases that small business owners in the mall will experience and the tax increases that the mall ownership itself will experience as a result of reporting requirements will discourage additional investment and expansion at Westfield Trumbull,” noted First Selectman Herbst. “As we are poised to begin the Phase 2 expansion of the Trumbull Mall, this type of assault on our largest taxpayer will discourage this investment. The expansion of the Westfield Trumbull Mall would represent an expanded tax base which would help us reduce the tax burden on our residential taxpayers. This adopted budget negatively harms those efforts.” The First Selectman noted that a special Town Council meeting has been called for next Thursday, June 11, 2015 at 8:00 PM in the Town Council Chambers to consider a resolution that would take a vote of no confidence in Governor Malloy and the majority leadership in the Connecticut General Assembly.
“The actions of our state leaders have adversely harmed the residents of Trumbull. Next week, the members of the Town Council have an important decision to make. At the local level, we have an obligation to tell our state leaders that their actions have hurt our residents and our Town, and we have no confidence in their ability to serve the people.”