'Nobody wanted to do that.' Lamont and Fazio agree that highway tolls are dead in final debate
Gov. Ned Lamont and his Republican opponent, Ryan Fazio, dismissed a new citizens' panel proposal to impose highway tolls even – if it could end the widely disliked car tax.
Seven years ago, Gov. Ned Lamont learned the political “toll” of asking drivers to pay for using Connecticut’s highways.
The governor and his Republican opponent flatly rejected a new citizens’ group proposal to bring tolls back during their final gubernatorial debate on Tuesday night.
TOLLS RE-ENTER THE CONVERSATION
Lamont spent his first year in office pushing for tolls to shore up Connecticut’s highway fund. But after major pushback, Lamont abandoned the controversial idea in 2020. A year later, the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law pumped billions of dollars into the fund.
On Monday, a group of everyday citizens brought tolls back into the conversation – just days before the election.
The Connecticut Citizens Assembly – 98 members of the public looking at ways to lower property taxes – recommended highway tolls to possibly repeal the state’s hated car tax. The panel believes tolls could raise nearly $1 billion a year, with nearly half coming from out-of-state drivers.
“That is significant,” said Elliott Weiler, a Citizens Assembly member from Westport. “It does create an opportunity for people who use Connecticut’s roads to help pay for the infrastructure.”
But in their final debate at Mohegan Sun – sponsored by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, the group that convened the citizens’ panel – both candidates Lamont and Republican Ryan Fazio insisted that tolls are dead.
“I actually tried something like that awhile back. Nobody wanted to do that,” Lamont said. “We’re not going to do that.”
Fazio agreed.
“I do not support new taxes on Connecticut residents,” he said. “Connecticut residents are taxed too much already.”
NEW FEE ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES?
Both candidates opposed tolls but said they are open to a new registration fee for electric vehicles, which do not pay gas taxes for road maintenance. Connecticut is one of only eight states that does not levy a special fee on EVs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
“I think it’s something we can look at,” Lamont said. “It’s not going to be that big a piece of pie, but I think it makes some sense.”
State lawmakers considered imposing a $345 fee every three years for fully electric vehicles, or $233 for plug-in hybrids, but the legislation was never called for a vote after dozens of EV owners and environmental groups opposed it.
“Let’s turn this bill around and start thinking about how to encourage, not penalize, EV adoption,” wrote Portland Clean Energy Task Force chair Andy Bauer.
Fazio said all drivers should pay their fair share.
“Yes, absolutely,” he said. “I voted for that in the state Senate and I’ve heard EV drivers testify that they’re in favor of that too.”
REGIONAL SCHOOLS?
The citizens’ panel made another controversial recommendation – regionalizing school districts, which is common in many southern states.
“Education is a key driver of high property taxes and creates budget shortfalls, particularly in Connecticut, which maintains an unusually high number of school districts relative to its geographical size and student population,” the group’s report said.
Again, Lamont and Fazio said it’s a non-starter.
“I do not believe in forced regionalization,” Fazio said. “There was an effort in the state government, just seven or six years ago, to impose forced regionalization on our school districts.”
In 2019, state Senate President Martin Looney (D-New Haven) proposed combining small districts with larger ones. But hundreds of suburban parents packed the state Capitol to protest.
“Ignore when they say, ‘They supported forced regionalization,’” Lamont said. “That’s just nonsense. That’s not the way we do it here in Connecticut and that's not the way I do it.”
ONE WEEK LEFT
With one week left, Lamont leads by more than 20 points in two recent polls – and more than 270,000 people had already voted early as of Tuesday.
