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Efforts Are Lacking

Since the beginning of the Great Recession, some $17 trillion of wealth has vanished, most in the value of family homes. Real estate listings and the land records of the sales of new and existing homes in our area make it clear that many families have lost tens of thousands of dollars of wealth, and, in some cases, hundreds of thousands. It is also clear that at the present appreciation rate, it will take many years before this wealth will reappear. This has put and is putting increased stress in families, and that is not good.

Once every 10 years by law, towns in Connecticut are required to create a Comprehensive Plan of Development, and as part of the development of this plan a survey is circulated to the property owners to determine their priorities. In Killingworth's last plan published some six years ago, the number-one answer to the question "What features of the town do you feel need improvement?" was to improve the tax base by a wide margin. Interestingly, the answer to the question about a new or expanded Town Hall was "No" by 66 percent of respondents.

The survey also specified the types of residential developments wanted; single family on two or more acres was first, but also wanted was more active adult age-restricted housing. As the Baby Boomers retire and downsize, there is a growing demand for this type of development, and it would greatly improve our tax base

Governments have many different functions. One of the core functions of a local government is to help create a place that is attractive to outside home seekers. This supports and improves the economic wellbeing of the town's citizens by increasing the value of their homes.

Killingworth's local government efforts are lacking in this priority.

Phil StullKillingworth