To the editor:
Karma is often a painful reminder for those who spout off and then often must eat their words. “I won’t raise your taxes” was the mistaken battle cry of then RTC Chair, Jeff Caggiano in 2021. Fast forward to 2024 and for a second year in a row, now Mayor Caggiano has done just the opposite. On the heels of a massive increase in 2023, another 3% increase is on its way to Bristol taxpayers. Disproportionately impacting homeowners throughout the city.
While Bristol residents all get to pay more, Caggiano continues his sleight of hand maneuvers by invoking the “mil rate” and how he lowered it last year. Yet taxes increased significantly. Well, he’s raising the mil rate this year. At the end of the day, this is all a smoke screen for the fact that under Caggiano and his council’s leadership the Grand List, the true measure of city growth, has been stagnant since he took office. Other than attempting to lay claim for the growth created under the previous administration, he and his team have not provided any meaningful impact by ways of economic development.
Instead, Caggiano wants everyone to be happy that they are paying more for less. Parents should rejoice that our school system, one of the most important marketing tools a community has, will be underfunded. All while appointing Jennifer Van Gorder to the Board of Education who has burned up over $10,000 in legal expenses on a meritless and wasteful FOIA request.
Mayor Caggiano, you are now approaching three years on the job, and it is clear you still do not understand how things work. Your job is to go out and actively engage and compete for new commercial businesses. Fight for every opportunity to grow the grand list. A good start to actually doing your job would be to stop wasting time on a never-ending stream of feel-good Facebook videos that amount form over substance. Here’s an idea. Instead of trying to euthanize geese, start getting intimate with the responsibilities of what you were elected to do.
Before things only get worse, learn your job, and then do your job.
Michael Nicastro, Bristol Democratic Town Committee (DTC) chair,
on behalf of the DTC
All TBE readers, supporters and donors
The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.
- Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.
Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.