HARTFORD, CT — Connecticut residents aren’t only divided on which candidate they want to see in the governor’s office, they’re evenly split on whether they would like to see a reduction in their property tax or prefer a cut in the statewide income tax.
That’s according to a online poll of 505 voters by InformCT.
The poll found 52 percent of voters prefer a reduction in the property tax and 48 percent would prefer a cut in the income tax.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ned Lamont pitched increasing the state’s property tax credit and Republican nominee Bob Stefanowski has proposed eliminating the personal income tax, which accounts for more than 51 percent of Connecticut’s annual revenues. Petitioning candidate Oz Griebel has dismissed both the proposals as measures the state, which is facing a $4.6 billion budget deficit over the next two years, can’t afford.
The poll, which was taken in September and released last week, also found that Connecticut residents by a two-to-one margin prefer that the state legalize and tax marijuana versus instituting electronic tolling.
The poll indicated that two-thirds – 67 percent – prefer pot over tolls, saying that taxing marijuana was a better choice than establishing electronic tolls. One-third said they prefer tolls over marijuana to boost state revenue.
When it comes to getting from here to there resident said they would prefer to expand mass transit rather than work toward universal broadband access.
Nearly six in 10 – 57 percent – opted for expanding mass transit when given a choice between the two options. Efforts to achieve universal broadband access in Connecticut was preferred by 43 percent of those surveyed.
When residents were asked which approach they preferred to grow the state’s economy, 55 percent said Connecticut should invest in schools and community features, compared with 45 percent who expressed a preference for efforts to recruit companies to Connecticut.
Asked if state policymakers should target Boomers or Millennials for efforts aimed at retaining population in the state, Millennials were the winners by a wide margin. Six in 10 residents said millennials should be the focus of the state’s attention, compared with only 39 percent who preferred efforts aimed at retaining retirees. The two age groups were almost equally represented among respondents in the survey. Millennials represented 30 percent and the Boomers account for 31 percent of respondants.
“In an extremely tight race for governor, the closely divided electorate is apparent in the income tax cut vs. property tax cut survey results – a nearly dead-even split,” Robert W. Santy, president and CEO of the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc. and CEO of InformCT, said. “Residents preference for pot over tolls to raise revenue, and retention efforts aimed more at millennials than older residents, also provide insight as voters prepare to elect the next governor.”
The last gubernatorial debate will be held tonight at 7 p.m. at Foxwoods Resort Casino. It will be streamed live on WTNH.com