State has to stop downshifting cost to local property taxes

To The Daily Sun,

Hi, I am a running for state representative for Franklin Ward 1 and 2 and the town of Hill. I am focusing on education funding. The downshifting needs to stop.

There are a lot of communities in need of more educational funding because their tax base cannot support the loss of revenue from the state. A recent Committee to Study Education Funding report has stated to eliminate the stabilization and increase the per pupil cost to $3,879, from $3,636. I do feel this is a best solution but feel this is not enough and should be more. The money to increase the per pupil will come from the existing stabilization funding and from the third-grade reading funding who are below proficient level which also can be eliminated.

I would like to bring back the building-aid funding and restore the state portion of retirement to teachers, fire and police to at least 15 percent, if not more. All this money needs to be restored in some form, so communities can provide other services like paving their roads. When I am at the doors I hear problems with retirement funding. Either the cost of living adjustment needs to be reinstated or reinstating some of the benefits that were agreed to employees. We also need to take some materials from our waste stream to make it more cost effective, save money and create jobs.

If you are for stopping the downshifting to keep property taxes low, please consider me for state representative on Nov 6.

Scott Burns

Franklin