Enfield raises taxes, but the bigger fight is just beginning

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  The budget fight Monday was sharply partisan and along familiar lines: cuts versus spending, and tax rates versus services. But the debate is also being shaped by forces that have little to do with party politics. The Enfield Town Council adopted a budget that set the mill rate at 33.11, a 1.61 mill increase, or about 5.1%, for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Republicans opposed it and lost every vote to amend the majority proposal. The final vote was 7-4. The approaches could not have been more different. Carol Hall, a Republican councilor and state representative, said Republicans were aiming for roughly a quarter-mill increase, which she said would add about $3.85 a month to the tax bill of a $300,000 home. The adopted budget adds about $338 annually — roughly $28 a month — to the tax bill of a $300,000 home assessed at 70%. The biggest point of contention was a Republican proposal to reduce the Board of Education increase by about $1.9 million and instead use school reserve...
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Enfield's five best things? No Kings protest makes the list


 
Someone was telling me yesterday about a group effort to list the five best things about Enfield. The first was Costco. Everyone struggled after that. Then there was a suggestion to add Raising Cane's.
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Enfield doesn't have a movie theater, much in the way of parks, a mall, or a downtown. Our main library hasn't been renovated in decades and has more videos than Blockbuster. Too many of our restaurants are fast food. The fastest-growing occupation in town may be takeout delivery drivers. You need your car for everything. But the town does have a civic spirit.
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Saturday's No King’s protest was my third one. Similar to the others, it attracted a good number of people. Perhaps not as many as the first one, but a lively turnout.
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It was a chance to strike up random conversations and meet new people, something that is hard to do in Enfield. One fellow I met turned out to be an EHS grad from my era. I graduated in 1972, and my newfound friend in 1973. He had a rally-free idea for protesting Trump.
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Once Trump's name appeared on dollar bills, he suggested crossing it out with a Sharpie. One bill at a time. It actually sounded like a good idea and the type of thing we might have come up with in the 1970s. It won't accomplish a thing, but it does give us something to do.
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The bright sun made it seem warmer than it might otherwise. It was a pleasant time with people sharing a common interest. Drivers honked their horns and waved in support.
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How odd this all was. People are all worried. Firstly, the war; then, the economy, and the nation's general direction.
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Despite this cloud, at the No King's protest, people smiled, complimented each other on their signs, and chatted under the sharp blue skies.
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As I think back on Saturday, here's something else that belongs on the list of the five best things to do in Enfield: Attend a No Kings protest.
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Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA

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