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Torrington councilors assure residents emergency services will be maintained amid state property‑tax debate
Summary
During public comment, council members and the mayor reassured residents and businesses that the city will continue to fund police, fire and emergency medical services despite uncertainty over proposed property‑tax relief at the state legislature.
Council members used the public‑comment portion of the Feb. 18 meeting to address local concerns about state proposals to reduce property taxes and the potential effects on municipal services.
Councilman Victorin told residents he hears “a lot of discussion” and urged calm, saying “defunding emergency services will never and should never be a topic for consideration.” He noted that state bills are subject to many changes in the legislative process and reminded listeners that Senate File 69 had been laid back on third reading that day.
Mayor Herb Dobie and other council members described Goshen County as one of eight hardship counties and said the legislature has historically used backfill to offset revenue losses from state property‑tax relief for counties with limited sales or mineral revenue. “If there's a diminishment in revenue to the city from property taxes, then they backfill that and equalize that, especially for the hardship counties,” the mayor said.
Council members urged residents to treat online commentary and news reports about potential service cuts with caution. The mayor and council emphasized that the city’s priority remains funding first responders: “Property tax relief or not, funding emergency services is priority number 1,” one councilman said.
No formal council action was taken; the remarks were intended to reassure the community and explain the interplay between state legislation and local budgets.
