Wallingford Rep. on Car Tax Elimination: 'There is Really No Support for That'

The proposal to eliminate the car tax has little support and will likely go no where, according to one state representative.

"There's not much support for that up there," Rep. Al Adinolfi, who represents Wallingford, told the Cheshire Town Council recently.

Since Gov. Dannel Malloy proposed eliminating the tax, municipal leaders have decried the suggestion because of the impact it would have on their budgets.

Locally car taxes go to the municipalities, not the state, so it wouldn't impact the state budget. But it would devestate local budgets, many local leaders have said. In Wallingford, it could lead to a loss of $8.4 million if the tax went through.

Tax Assessor Shelby Jackson estimated that could lead to an increase of two full mills, which ultimately would lead to tax hikes on residents' properties.

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Dozens of those leaders testified against the proposal at the public hearing on the topic.

It's likely the proposal will be scrapped all together, Adinolfi said, or it could come back as a flat tax. At a recent event with the Waterbury Chamber of Commerce, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman said that the governor is very concerned that the tax is unfair, he said.

"You might see one rate for every town," Adinolfi said. "They haven't come up with the number yet but I believe that is what will come out of this, or it might go away."

But as presented, the bill isn't likely to be successful, he said.

"On both sides of the aisle there is really no support for that," he said.