Canterbury Democrats

Property Tax Isn't a Tax on Unrealized Gains Posted by the Canterbury Democratic Town Committee A post is circulating on Facebook this week that compares property taxes to taxing unrealized stock gains. It's getting shared widely ( et tu COPY & PASTE this to Your page? ). It touches on a real frustration — nobody likes paying more in taxes — but it gets the fundamental mechanics of property tax wrong. That misinformation is worth correcting. What property tax actually is Property tax is not a tax on a gain. It is a cost-sharing mechanism . Every year, Canterbury has to pay for roads, schools, fire protection, emergency services, and town administration. Those costs are real, and someone has to cover them. Property tax is simply how we divide that bill among property owners — proportional to the value of what each owner holds in town. Here's how it works in practice. The town sets a budget — the total it needs to operate. That total is divided by the assessed value of a...

The Canterbury Budget: What have we already lost? Posted by the Canterbury Democratic Town Committee There's been talk about what we might lose  if the second budget doesn't pass, but that's mistaken. Much of what's being discussed is already going to have to be cut  based on the first budget not passing. If this second budget doesn't pass, the cuts and damage will be much, much worse . This is not a scare tactic, this is reality. Here's what's already on the cut list: Cutting 2.5 student support/para positions Cutting summer enrichment (art, music, sports). Switching from free to paid PreK Protect our schools and students from further harm. If the budget doesn't pass this time, here are things that could be next: Cutting school choice . Canterbury currently has the best school choice in the state which allows each family to find where their child can be most successful. We should be proud of and protect that. Cutting foreign language and culture at BM...

The Canterbury Budget: Spending Analysis Posted by the Canterbury Democratic Town Committee How does our spending stack up? Are we over-spending? Should we be spending less? It's easy to say we should, but if you look at the numbers, the truth can be seen — our budgets are reasonable and we get extremely good value from our spending . First, let's see where things currently stand, these are the budgets after the June 1st cuts: Town is up 4.51%, CIP is down 0.12% and EDU is up 2.62% — overall a 2.93% increase. This is pretty remarkable, given the wild inflation we've had, starting with the COVID years (and yes, " Biden inflation ") and now with Trumps Tariffs , War of Choice and his own bouts of inflation  (including fuel costs ) that are costing average American households thousands of dollars extra each year . Let's take a look at the evidence. Here's what the last few years of our budgets have looked like. ...

The Canterbury Budget: What's Actually Happening and Why It Matters Posted by the Canterbury Democratic Town Committee The FY2027 town budget was voted down at referendum . The Board of Finance heard it, and within days reduced the proposed mill rate increase from 1.5 mills to 0.9 mills. That's a real reduction and it represents the limit of what can be cut without directly eliminating positions or reducing services to residents and students. We're writing this because a lot of what's circulating on social media about this budget is simply not accurate, and Canterbury residents deserve a clear picture of what's going on. The process is open. It has always been open. The budget process starts in the fall. The Board of Education and town departments build their budgets. The Board of Finance begins its review in March, holds weekly public meetings, and conducts a formal public hearing where residents can ask questions and provide input. The meeting schedule is pu...

     NOTICE OF CAUCUS A Democratic caucus shall be held in the Town of Canterbury, CT for the purpose of selecting party-endorsed candidates for the Democratic Town Committee (DTC) on Thursday Jan. 8, 2026. Nominations will be accepted between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Canterbury Town Hall Community Room, 1 Municipal Drive, Canterbury, CT 06331. Voting, if necessary, shall begin at 6:30 p.m. If you are a registered Democrat in the town of Canterbury, CT and are interested in serving on the Canterbury DTC please either attend the caucus or  submit a letter of interest here .

    NOTICE OF CAUCUS A Democratic caucus shall be held in the Town of Canterbury, CT for the purpose of selecting party-endorsed candidates for the Democratic Town Committee (DTC) on Thursday Jan. 11, 2024. Nominations will be accepted between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Canterbury Town Hall Community Room, 1 Municipal Drive, Canterbury, CT 06331. Voting, if necessary, shall begin at 7:30 p.m. If you are a registered Democrat in the town of Canterbury, CT and are interested in serving on the Canterbury DTC please either attend the caucus or  submit a letter of interest here .

  NOTICE OF CAUCUS A Democratic caucus shall be held in the Town of Canterbury, CT for the purpose of selecting party-endorsed candidates for the Democratic Town Committee (DTC) on Thursday Jan. 6, 2022. Nominations will be accepted between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Canterbury Town Hall Community Room, 1 Municipal Drive, Canterbury, CT 06331. Voting, if necessary, shall begin at 7:30 p.m. Masks are required. If you are a registered Democrat in the town of Canterbury, CT and are interested in serving on the Canterbury DTC please either attend the caucus or submit a letter of interest here .