Town Continues Its Efforts To Market Itself

By Steve Bigham

Throughout this past budget season, many Newtown taxpayers spoke out in favor of attracting more commercial development to the community. The hope is that more business will help alleviate the tax burden currently being levied on homeowners.

The town loses money whenever a family with two or three children moves into town. The cost to educate the kids alone is more than that family would pay in taxes each year, unless the family moves into a million dollar home. In that case, the town might break even. For the most part, however, it is a lose-lose proposition.

The best bargains come in the form of businesses and the elderly, both of which do not require many services from the town. Last week, the town passed a revised ordinance that will provide as much as $1,000 in tax savings to local senior citizens who meet certain income criteria. The move was designed to keep Newtown affordable for its senior citizens, while also encouraging others to relocate here.

So what is being done to bring in new businesses? Who is in charge of promoting Newtown?

That responsibility falls on the shoulders of Community Development Director Elizabeth Stocker and the Economic Development Commission (EDC). Their job is to ensure that the town undergoes “orderly planned development” that keeps the town’s character in mind. The idea is to bring in enough new business to balance off the town’s unprecedented residential growth.

“We can’t lose ground with the residential growth. Newtown is primarily a residential community. We’re not going to change that,” Mrs Stocker said. “It’s just that almost all our property taxes are paid through residential.”

To be exact, 82 percent of all local taxes are paid for by Newtown homeowners. Newtown’s relatively small business community picks up the remaining 18 percent. More and more, residents are feeling the crunch, especially as state aid continues to dwindle.

Currently, the town is taking part in an advertising campaign and has revamped its web site. The town’s EDC is currently exploring the town’s potential for growth in the technology, communications, and bioscience clusters. All three industries have been moving into Connecticut’s economy in recent years. Working with such organizations as the Chamber of Commerce, it is seeking to create an environment that attracts innovation and productivity to Newtown.

As Mrs Stocker points out, Newtown’s potential for attracting growth in these areas will be a function of its ability to provide the proper infrastructure to support these businesses. The land-use changes that have been proposed for Hawleyville and the final disposition of Fairfield Hills will be instrumental in expanding Newtown’s capacity for continued economic development.

The EDC plans to market the town’s excellent quality of life to key decision makers within the corporate world. According to Mrs Stocker quantitative data is being researched and will be added to the EDC’s home page that will provide up-to-date information that compares the business advantages of Newtown to other communities.

“The EDC wants to let companies know that the quality of life in Newtown will enhance their ability to recruit and retain top talent, and that Newtown will provide a strong corporate image for associates, partners, and customers,” Mrs Stocker said.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal is also online in the town’s effort to maintain a balance of residential and business development. However, he also understands that there are those in town who feel commercial development brings residential development. And, there are many who fear that extensive commercial development will jeopardize the character of the town.

“That’s why we’re trying to do [the economic development] at exit 9 in Hawleyville, Commerce Park, and Fairfield Hills. These areas are already developed,” Mr Rosenthal said.

Newtown and its business community are also promoted by the Chamber of Commerce, which welcomes new businesses while working to foster the existing business community.

“We promote business with each other, so when somebody comes to Newtown we invite them to join and network,” noted Chamber President Christina Maturi.

The Chamber sponsors numerous events throughout the year in an effort to make Newtown a better place to live and to do business.

Its web site is linked to the EDC web page, providing the town with information about prospective new business.