Sen. Jeff Gordon, Sen. Ryan Fazio, and Sen. Tony Hwang Defend Local Control and Fight to Ensure Access to Critical Municipal Funding

HARTFORD, CT – Sen. Jeff Gordon (R-Woodstock), Ranking Member of the Planning and Development Committee, along with Sen. Ryan Fazio (R-Greenwich) and Sen. Tony Hwang (R-Fairfield), members of the committee, defended local zoning authority by opposing the transit-oriented district bill, H.B. 6831, during today’s Planning and Development Committee meeting. This bill would deprioritize municipalities from receiving essential state grants if they choose not to opt into becoming a transit-oriented district or are unable to do so due to insufficient public infrastructure or funding.

Sen. Gordon and his colleagues co-introduced amendments to ensure municipalities remain eligible for critical funding from the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP), the Clean Water Fund, and the Urban Action Fund. Without these state grants, towns that do not qualify as transit-oriented districts could be disadvantaged in securing necessary resources.

“These are common-sense amendments that promote fairness,” said Sen. Gordon. “Our towns should not be penalized simply because they do not qualify as transit-oriented districts or, through no fault of their own, lack the infrastructure to do so. Every community deserves access to the resources they need, especially for public infrastructure. Otherwise, local taxpayers will bear a greater financial burden without these critical state grants. It is unfortunate that these improvements to the bill were rejected along party lines.”

Seeking to improve H.B. 6831, Sen. Fazio co-introduced amendments to mitigate the bill’s strict zoning requirements and reduce the financial penalties imposed on municipalities. One of the proposed amendments, LCO 6288, would allow towns and cities to remain eligible for state funding even if they do not adhere to the bill’s rigid zoning mandates. Another amendment, LCO 6289, sought to modify the as-of-right zoning requirement from nine units per lot to four units.

“Voters and local leaders understand the needs of their communities better than the state does,” said Sen. Fazio. “Threatening to withhold hundreds of millions in vital funding simply because municipalities do not comply with aggressive, state-imposed zoning requirements is wrong—especially when those same municipalities and property taxpayers rely on that funding.”

Sen. Fazio continued, “My colleagues and I introduced four good-faith amendments to make this bill less burdensome for towns, reduce the amount of funding they could lose, and soften the zoning mandates. Unfortunately, these amendments were rejected along party lines. However, I remain committed to finding common ground on policies that protect local zoning authority while addressing housing challenges. I will always collaborate when possible, but will also vigorously oppose any measures that undermine local control. As such, I am prepared to continue fighting Work Live Ride and other anti-local control policies for as long as necessary should they reach the Senate floor.”

Sen. Hwang added, “I appreciate the proponents of H.B. 6831 for including an opt-in provision, but I remain deeply concerned about the financial burden this bill places on our towns. Tying state funding to these zoning requirements is not a partnership—it’s a mandate with consequences, rather than a collaborative effort. This approach pressures municipalities rather than supporting them. I look forward to working together in a truly bipartisan and solutions-driven manner to find a more balanced and sustainable path forward.”