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Hold a Town Referendum

In response to “Compromise May be Near for Horse Tax Issue” published on Aug. 1, I am a citizen who has been following the horse tax issue in my town. I have heard our first selectman, Angus McDonald, express support on numerous occasions for new businesses in town, and yet here he is proposing to tax a new business and thus will alienate them and force them to sue the town. In my way of thinking, this is not how one supports new businesses. I surely hope that winning this lawsuit brought by horse farmers will not cost the town more than the $4,500 that the town makes in taxes from horse farmers.

It has been noted that 30 towns in Connecticut have waived taxes on horses. I don’t understand why Deep River can’t be one of those towns. Are we so hard up for funds that we need to drive business away from our town? Also, the tax will be passed on to the clients of the horse farm, making it difficult for the farmer to do business. Hence, the farmer’s business might fail and he will be forced to leave town and go to one of the other towns that do not have taxes on horses. Is that what we want?

Perhaps we could hold a town referendum on this issue, and see what the citizens of Deep River think. After all, an election is coming up in November.

Susan Huybensz

Deep River