UNPREDICTABILITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES FORCING ENTREPRENEURS OUT OF CONNECTICUT
HARTFORD (May 18, 2015): Today, another member of the
National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the state’s leading small
business organization, is calling into question the finance committee’s misguided proposal to
increase taxes and stifle economic progress in the state of Connecticut.
“We have been through a lot since opening our doors in 1982
and at some point you begin to think that nothing will surprise you but this
budget proposal is mind blowing.” Said Francis Delaney, owner and operator of
West State Mechanical, Inc. in Torrington. “We already pay high utility prices
in Connecticut and now at least some of our illustrious elected officials have
decided to take the easy way out and begin taxing services that have previously
remained untouched; they are literally driving people away from the state.”
The budget proposal released recently by the legislature’s
finance committee would increase the tax on things like engineering and design
services from zero to 5.85%. Building
inspections services are impacted as well, which will drive up the costs
associated with construction projects and ultimately harm the long suffering
tax payers in Connecticut. These increases will impact everyone, not just the
so called millionaires.
“We are doing our best to remain operational in a state with
a corporate business tax rate that is one of the highest in the country. The
policy makers in Hartford are exacerbating the problem with proposed new taxes
and fees which just encourages businesses and people to leave. I just met with
a business that is relocating from Connecticut to Louisiana. Among their
reasons for leaving; the high cost of doing business in Connecticut, and the
unpredictability of the tax structure and mandates. On behalf of small business
owners throughout the state that are fed up, I implore both Democrats and
Republicans to work together and develop a budget that encourages investment in
Connecticut,” Concluded Delaney.
Fran is the owner of West State Mechanical, a mechanical
contracting company that installs and services industrial and commercial HVAC
systems. Because of the large scope of work that West State Mechanical is
capable of accomplishing, Fran’s company and employees will be negatively
impacted at a variety of levels if the budget is passed in its current form.
