Nation IN BRIEF : CONNECTICUT : Weicker Urges End to Property Taxes

Connecticut’s three-year-old income tax has boosted the state’s revenues so much that Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr. proposed eliminating property taxes within 10 years. The proposal would save $700 million a year for taxpayers in Connecticut, where property taxes are among the highest in the United States. In his State of the State Address in Hartford, Weicker said cities and towns would be reimbursed from state funds for income lost through elimination of the property tax. The proposal’s chance of passing the Legislature is unclear. Weicker’s speech came a day after the U.S. Census Bureau said three of the top 10 fastest-shrinking cities in the nation are in Connecticut. Economists said people are leaving because of poor job opportunities and high taxes.