In this email you'll find updates on district resources and news. Please click the links below to read the section that corresponds with the highlighted headline.
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Please join me and my colleagues as we host our pre-session town halls. Town hall events are opportunities to share what matters most to you.
I hope to see you there!
Tax Relief Measures 2024
As a result of fiscal responsibility and bipartisanship in 2023, I am pleased to announce that significant relief is on the way for many Connecticut taxpayers in 2024!
Three tax relief measures went into effect on January 1, including the largest income tax cut in state history, an increase in a tax credit aimed at the lowest-income workers, and an expansion of exemptions on certain pension and annuity earnings that will benefit the senior population.
Here's a closer look at the tax cuts, who specifically benefits, and how:
One million filers to benefit from income tax cuts:
The changes enacted in 2024 will see a decrease in the two lowest rates:
The 3% rate on the first $10,000 earned by single filers and the first $20,000 by joint filers will drop to 2%.
The 5% rate on the next $40,000 earned by single filers and the next $80,000 by joint filers will drop to 4.5%.
The relief targets middle-class tax filers and is capped at $150,000 for single filers and $300,000 for joint filers. This is the first time that rates have been reduced in the state since the mid-1990s and it represents the largest income tax cut enacted in state history.
For more information, single filers click here. For joint filers, click here.
Connecticut’s Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income workers becomes one of the largest in the U.S.
The EITC in Connecticut is increasing from 30.5% to 40% of the federal EITC and will provide an additional $44.6 million in state tax credits to the approximately 211,000 low-income filers who receive the credit. More than 95 percent of filers who receive this credit are families with children.
The Connecticut EITC is a refundable state income tax credit for the lowest income working individuals and families that mirrors the federal EITC.
Expanding certain deductions for IRA distributions and pension and annuity earnings for seniors
The state budget eliminates the retirement income tax cliff by adding a phase-out for allowable pension annuity and IRA distribution deductions against the personal income tax.
Approximately 200,000 filers benefit from the currently enacted retiree exemption limits. It is estimated that with these changes, an additional 100,000 filers could benefit from the elimination of the retirement cliff via the exemption phase-out.
I would like to thank all my colleagues for working diligently during the 2023 legislative session to help provide this tax relief for many of our hardest-working state residents. The three measures will reduce tax burdens on CT taxpayers by $460 million!
In the early 1800s, responding to Napoleon’s request to find a more efficient way to feed his armies in the field, French inventor Nicholas Appert discovered that heating food stored in glass jars would sterilize it, keeping it safe to eat for long periods of time. Shortly thereafter, Englishman Peter Durand invented a similar food storage method involving sealing food in iron cans lined with tin. The canning process revolutionized the way people throughout the Western world stored and ate their food, introducing an inexpensive way to preserve food for long periods without altering its taste. However, the earliest “tin cans” proved to be unwieldy and difficult to use. They were made of thick wrought iron that required sharp tools and a great amount of force to open.
The 1st mass-produced tin cans were made in London in 1813 for sale to the Royal Navy and weighed from 4 to 20 pounds. (BBC News Magazine)
By the 1850s, the cans used for storing food had become thinner and lighter, with most using a thin layer of tin-lined steel instead of iron. Still, most people still required a hammer and chisel to open them and access the food inside. But then, a clever Connecticut Yankee found a way to make canned food more accessible and practical by creating a device dedicated to opening these “tin cans.”
On January 5, 1858, Waterbury native Ezra J. Warner received a U.S. patent for the first-ever can opener. It was a simple one-handed tool that used a “bayonet and sickle” design to cut through the lid of tin cans: the “bayonet” would pierce the lid, while the “sickle” blade cut a jagged line around the circumference of the lid.
While Warner’s design wasn’t ideal — the jagged edge it left behind was dangerously sharp — it solved the decades-old problem of finding a simple and easy way to open canned food. Warner’s can opener would be replaced by more popular and improved designs later in the 19th century, but until then, it was commonly used by thousands of Americans, from Civil War soldiers to everyday grocers, to make their lives a little easier.
Thanks to Ezra Warner, an everyday necessity once again proved to be the mother of Connecticut invention, today in Connecticut history.
The CT Black and Puerto Rican Caucuswill be hosting a forum over Zoom on Tuesday, January 9th, beginning at 5:00 p.m. for constituents. To sign up to testify, please go tohttps://forms.gle/GkhcA8EevqHa5dQz6or scan the QR code above. The cutoff date and time to sign up will be January 8th at 11:59 p.m. We look forward to hearing from you!
Town Of East Hartford
Town Meetings
Regular Town Council Meeting
January 16th, 2024, 7:30 PM
Community Cultural Center Auditorium (50 Chapman Place)
Please arrive early to be in line for 9:00 am as the truck leaves promptly at 9:30 am. Open to the public--bring a sturdy grocery bag! This program is made possible by Foodshare and Winn Residential - Resident Service Program. For more information call 860-646-1280.
Squire Village, 48 Spencer Street, 06040 (1st parking lot off Imperial Drive #78)
January 16th 9am - 9:30am
January 30th 9am - 9:30am
Faith Tabernacle – Manchester 110 Utopia Rd, Manchester, CT 06042
January 18th 1pm –1:30pm
February 1st 1pm -1:30pm
New River Community Church - 314 Woodbridge St, Manchester, CT 06042
January 10th 12pm -12:30pm
January 24th 12pm -12:30pm
Get mobile pantry updates in your area by texting the word Foodshare to 85511.
The Town of Manchester mailed Supplemental Motor Vehicle tax bills for the October 2022 Grand List on December 15, 2023.
The second installment of taxes on the Grand List of October 01, 2022 and the Supplemental Motor Vehicle List are due and payable on January 01, 2024.
Failure to pay any tax due January 01, 2024, on or before February 01, 2024, will cause the tax to become delinquent and subject to interest at the rate of 1.5% per month (minimum $2.00), back to the original due date of January 01, 2024.
The Department of Leisure, Family, and Recreation Winter/Spring Program and Event Guide is here!
CRCOG opened its application opportunity for Low to Moderate-Income families suffering from crumbling foundations to apply for additional remediation assistance. Rep. Joe Courtney, the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG), the Connecticut Foundations Solutions Indemnity Corporation (CFSIC), and the Northeast Connecticut Council of Governments (NECCOG) launched the new Crumbling Foundation Remediation and Restoration program to help low and moderate-income homeowners access financial assistance to repair damages caused by crumbling foundations.
Join us for our January event! Learn to play: White Castle, Septima, Daybreak, Trio, Order Overload: Cafe, Penny Black, and Nucleum. No need to bring any games; we'll provide them all. Free program for adults; light refreshments to be served.
Parking Ban
Overnight parking is not allowed on public streets or municipal parking lots between the hours of 2:00 AM and 6:00 AM from December 1st to April 1st. Parked vehicles are one of the biggest obstacles to effective snow removal. Please support our efforts by parking your vehicle in conformance with the winter parking ban.
Anyone violating this ordinance shall be fined fifteen dollars ($15.00).
The Chief of Police may also declare a parking ban if a significant snow event is forecast or in progress. Residents are asked to remove vehicles from the street when a snowstorm is occurring.
Teen Craftnoon
Drop by after school and enjoy fun and advanced DIY crafts with friends. Grades 6-9.
Manchester Bicentennial
Manchester has launched planning efforts for its 2023 Bicentennial Celebration. This year long celebration will consist of a variety of opportunities to remember the past, celebrate the present, and dream about the future. Festivities will include historical and educational programs, special events, and commemorative projects.
All town offices, including the East Hartford Transfer Station will be closed Monday, January 15, 2024, in observance of Martin Luther King Day.
All town offices will reopen on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, for regularly scheduled hours of operation.
Curbside trash pickup and recycling will run on schedule without delays.
The normal transfer station schedule is as follows: Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 7:15 a.m. to Noon and 12:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. (holidays excluded), and the first and third Saturdays of the month from 8:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. (holidays excluded). The transfer station is closed on Wednesday and Thursdays.
For information regarding curbside waste collection, please call All American Waste at 860-289-7850 from 7 am – 5 pm or visit All American Waste | Waste Disposal & Recycling | Dumpster Rentals (aawllc.com).
For any information regarding recycling collection, please continue to call Trash Away at 860-225-1206.
To contact the East Hartford Public Works, please call 860-291-7374.
East Hartford Parks and Recreation Offering
Winter Adult Classes
East Hartford Parks and Recreation continues to offer adult programming beginning in early January 2023.
Adult Aqua Zumba
Aqua Zumba will be held on Mondays and Thursday evenings from 5:30pm – 6:30pm at the East Hartford Middle School pool. The winter session will include 16 classes and is $64 for residents and non-residents. Classes will begin on Monday, January 8, 2024. Registration is required online at www.ehparks.org, and registration is open now for residents and non-residents. Class instructors are from Eliza’s Energy Source.
Adult Zumba and Yogalates
Adult Zumba and Yogalates will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the Sunset Ridge Middle School Gymnasium. Zumba will be from 6pm – 7pm and Yogalates will be from 7:15pm – 8pm. The winter session will include 20 classes and is $80 for residents and non-residents. Classes will begin on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. Registration is required online at www.ehparks.org, and registration is open now for residents and non-residents. Class instructors are from Eliza’s Energy Source.
Town of East Hartford Christmas Tree Disposal Guidelines
All American Waste crews will be picking up Christmas trees from Tuesday January 2, 2024 through Friday, January 12, 2024, weather-permitting. Collection of the trees generally occurs on the same day as trash collection. Trees should be placed on the curb near trash bins with noplastic bags or decorations.
Should the curbside collection be delayed due to snow or unforeseen circumstances, residents are asked to leave the trees at the curb. Please do not remove them from the curb.
Residents are also encouraged to bring their Christmas trees to the Transfer Station at 1 Ecology Drive for disposal at no charge.
Regular Transfer Station hours are Monday, Tuesday and Friday 7:15 a.m. to Noon and 12:30 p.m. to 2:45 P.M. Saturdays 8:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. first and third Saturdays of the month, holidays excluded.
For additional information, please call the East Hartford Public Works at 860-291-7374.
Free-Play Basketball and Adult Open Gym
East Hartford Parks and Recreation is offering two fun programs: Open Gym for East Hartford residents in Grades 7 through 12 and Adult Drop-In Basketball.
FREE-PLAY BASKETBALL
For Middle and High School students in grades 7 – 12
East Hartford residents or students attending East Hartford Middle or High School can participate in Basketball Open Gym on Mondays and Fridays. The program starts runs through Friday, March 8th from 6:30 – 8:45pm at East Hartford Middle School. Grade 7 and 8 will be in the Lower Gym and Grades 9 – 12 will be in the Upper Gym. The program is FREE, but all participants must be registered at www.ehparks.org and have a Town ID or EHHS/EHMS ID at the program. There will be no program if there is no school or school is let out early due to inclement weather.
ADULT OPEN BASKETBALL
For adults ages 18 & up
East Hartford Parks and Recreation is offering Adult Open Basketball at Goodwin Elementary School. All participants must complete a registration form the first evening they attend or register at www.ehparks.org for a season membership. The program is Monday and Thursday nights and will run through Thursday, March 7th. Residents can purchase a season pass for $20 or $2 an evening. Non-residents can purchase a Season Pass for $40 or $4 an evening. The program time is 6:30 to 9:30pm. Basketball sneakers are mandatory. There will be no program if there is no school or school is let out early due to inclement weather.
For more information, please call the Parks and Recreation office at 860-291-7160.
Officer Brian A. Aselton Memorial Snow Dash
WHAT: Officer Brian A. Aselton Memorial Snow Dash 5k Road Race
WHERE: Langford School, 61 Alps Drive
WHEN: Sunday, January 7, 2024
WHO: Town of East Hartford Parks & Recreation & East Hartford Police Department
East Hartford, CT - The Town of East Hartford is pleased to offer, the 31st running of the annual Officer Brian A. Aselton Memorial Snow Dash 5K Road Race, sponsored by the East Hartford Parks and Recreation Department and the East Hartford Police Department will be held on Sunday, January 7, 2024 at 1:30 PM. The race will start and finish at Langford School located at 61 Alps Drive. Over 200 runners are expected to participate in the race that is run in tribute to Officer Brian A. Aselton. Proceeds benefit the East Hartford Police Department Child Safety and Crime Prevention Programs and the Officer Brian Aselton Scholarship Fund. Commemorative award plaques will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each division for men and women. Divisions include 17 & under, 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, and 80 & up. Discount Trophy generously provides the awards. Official race apparel is available race day.
On January 23, 1999, Police Officer Brian A. Aselton gave his life in the line of duty protecting the citizens of East Hartford. The tragic loss of Officer Aselton devastated the community. Officer Aselton was only 26 years old when his brilliant life was extinguished; yet, his spirit lives on in those who remember him. Proceeds from the race will benefit the Officer Brian A. Aselton Memorial Scholarship Fund and East Hartford Police Child Safety and Crime Prevention Programs. Since the inception of Brian’s scholarship fund 314 scholarships have been awarded.
Originally, the race was developed in 1993 to benefit the East Hartford Police Department’s Community Outreach Division. The Community Outreach Division operated youth programs throughout town in areas such as Veterans Terrace, Hockanum Park, Mayberry Village and East Hartford Estates. The race was renamed for Officer Aselton in 2000. In 2001, the Quality of Life Division took over these responsibilities. In 2005, Child Safety and Crime Prevention Programs became the race’s beneficiary. Hundreds of East Hartford children and teens annually participate in these programs.
To register for the race online, follow this link:
Day of registration must be completed using the online RunSignUp, no paper registration forms.
For more information, please contact Recreation Supervisor, Jonathan Cooper, at 860-291-7164.
East Hartford Parks and Recreation
Offering Winter Swim Lessons
East Hartford Parks and Recreation continues to offer opportunities for residents to swim and now we are excited to announce another session of swim lessons beginning in early January 2024.
Group Swim Lessons at the Middle School Pool
The winter session of Group Swim Lessons will be held on Wednesday evenings beginning January 3rd, or on Saturday mornings beginning January 6th. Lessons are offered as an 8-week session and the fee for the session is $40 for residents or $50 for non-residents. Registration is required online at www.ehparks.org, and registration begins Tuesday, December 5th at 9am for residents and Tuesday, December 12th at 9am for non-residents.
East Hartford Middle School is located at 777 Burnside Avenue, but the pool is only accessible from the school entrance on Scotland Road.
For more information on our swim lessons, or to review the pool rules please visitwww.easthartfordct.gov/parks-recreationor call our office at 860-291-7160.
Winter Programs at East Hartford Public Library
Please visit their online calendar for event listings:
My office is always open if you or your family are in need of assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email atJason.Rojas@cga.ct.govor by phone at 860-240-8541.
