SHELTON DEMOCRATS

SHELTON DEMS LAUNCH NEWSLETTER

Thanks to the hard work of Susan Nofi-Bendici, the editor of the Shelton DTC News, the Shelton Democratic Town Committee will have a new and more effective way to inform Shelton residents about what is happening here in Shelton. The March Edition is the inaugural edition and we hope to issue the newsletter quarterly. If you have ideas for the newsletter, please email Susan at snofibendici@sbcglobal.net. 

SHELTON DEMS Invite Municipal Candidates

David Gioiello, chairman of the Shelton DTC executive committee invites all interested Democrats who are interested in running for municipal office this fall to contact him. We have openings on our slate at this point and would like to offer Shelton the best qualified candidates available in the up-coming election. Shelton needs new energy and ideas in city leadership and the SDTC has a group of dedicated volunteers to support our candidates in their run for office. For more information or to express your interest contact Davis Gioiello at 926-0712 or Seniorih@aol.com.

Pacowta: LargeTax Increase Only the Beginning for Shelton Taxpayers

Addressing a meeting of the Shelton Democratic Party’s Executive Committee, Party Chair and former Mayor, Michael E. Pacowta cited ominous signs of higher taxes for homeowners as portrayed by the budget recently released by Mayor Mark A. Lauretti. "During the campaign of 2005 I continually spoke of tax increases looming in the collective futures of Shelton’s homeowners and now what was dismissed by Mayor Lauretti as mere myth, is unfortunately becoming hard cold reality," Pacowta said. Pacowta, a CPA and Financial Planner served as Mayor of the city from 1985 to 1991.

Based upon an informal sample, it appears homeowners are facing on average anywhere from 10% to 25% + increases in their real estate tax bills. There is some relief when taking into consideration the small decreases experienced in saving on motor vehicle property taxes. "The figures can be massaged in many different ways, however the bottom-line is that on average it appears Shelton homeowners will be paying upwards of at least 12% more in net taxes this year when compared with last year’s tax bills," Pacowta emphasized. Pacowta pointed out that this percentage increase is running far ahead of the national averages for inflation.

This burdensome shift in tax responsibility to Shelton’s homeowner’s is a direct negative by-product of the thoughtless economic development policies of the city, Pacowta explained. "When an administration like Mayor Lauretti’s indiscriminately seeks development for the sake of development, someone has to pay the price," Pacowta stated. It is the heavy concentration of strip retail centers and residential housing that causes the homeowner to shoulder more than their fair share of taxes in a community. Pacowta spoke directly of this many times during the election campaign of 2005. "A city like Shelton, with no real adherence to any comprehensive plan of development will choke itself on exorbitantly high automobile traffic volume, strain its educational system with an over population of school students and cause its infrastructure to deteriorate at an abnormally swift rate," warned Pacowta.

Within his professional practice, Pacowta deals with people in all age groups and he has heard many clients bemoaning the higher cost of living they are experiencing. "From young families raising children to senior citizens living on fixed incomes, the double digit tax increase that looms in Shelton’s future adds insult to injury when one considers the burden sustained already by the sky-high cost of purchasing a home, rising fuel costs, college tuitions going out of sight and tightening credit standards for those with substantial debt," Pacowta added.

One of the areas of great concern to Pacowta in addition to seniors on fixed incomes, are those homeowners who currently have variable mortgages. Many face a "reset" this year of the interest rate charged and in some cases the payment of principal for the first time. Pacowta warned constantly during the last election campaign of the growing "mountain of debt" being piled up by the Lauretti administration and foresaw signs of danger ahead when the city would finally have to live up to its responsibilities and begin paying it down. "There is no such thing as a ‘free lunch’ in this world and for too long the Lauretti administration has pulled the wool over the peoples’ eyes and very plainly is mortgaging the city’s future away," protested Pacowta. This is occurring in unrealistically deferring the costs of operating the city by borrowing, servicing short term notes with interest only payments and allowing runaway development that will cost the city more than it will generate via tax revenues. Mayor Lauretti and his administration must be stopped before all taxpayers will be forced to pay an even heftier price for his fiscal irresponsibility and outright deception.

Democrats Denounce Conditions at U.S. Veteran Hospitals and Affirm Support of our Troops

On March 19, 2007, the Shelton Democratic Committee adopted the following resolution: "Be it hereby resolved that the Shelton Democratic Town Committee supports our troops, no matter where deployed, in their efforts to defend the freedoms bestowed upon the citizens of our great nation;

That we, as Democrats, grieve for the loss of life and injury sustained by our valiant service men and women as they carry out the responsibilities of their duties without question or complaint;

That we as Americans, realize the luxury of those same freedoms, extend our gratitude to those who make them possible and ensure the proper treatment within adequate facilities be given to those returning to our country with injury sustained while providing these unselfish acts in dedicated service to our nation!"

Democrats Oppose Reducing Funding of Open Space

The Democratic Town Committee voted to oppose the reduction in funding for the purchase of open space in Shelton during the monthly meeting on February 21. First Ward Alderman, Jack Finn, explained that the Board of Aldermen was considering a significant reduction in the amount of money being budgeted for open space purchase. Town Chair and former Mayor, Mike Pacowta, reminded the committee that during his terms as mayor, one-half mil per year was set aside for open space purchase.  Having these funds readily available allowed to city to move quickly to obtain prime open space as it came on the market. 

Beginning this Spring this page will host news from Shelton and reports from members of the Democratic Town Committee on the activities of the Board of Aldermen, Planning and Zoning, the Board of Education and other government groups as appropriate. City Boards and Commissions meet on the schedule below. 

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Updated 03/02/08. For web site information contact webmaster