Tax Abatement for Daycare Owners Rejected, Again

In December, local in-home daycare provider Lara Wilguess appeared before the Board of Selectmen (BOS) to ask them to enact a tax abatement designed to help in-home daycare providers and the people who rely on them. At the January 7, 2026, BOS meeting, the board voted to reject the request.

In 2022, Connecticut legislation went into effect, allowing municipalities to abate up to 100% of property taxes for licensed in-home daycare facilities for up to five years. The legislation gives towns lots of flexibility in regards to how they implement the entirely voluntary abatement. They can choose a flat-rate discount, a percentage discount, or a shorter timeline. Still, the selectmen chose none of the above. Wilguess was not at the meeting.

Selectman Tim Cromwell said that "because of budgetary issues" he "would lean toward the no vote." Selectman Anthony Armelin said that though there is a need for many kinds of people in our town, "if we give a tax abatement to everyone, it will be awful expensive and won't fix the problem."

In July, NBCConnecticut reported, “Panelists pointed out that in Connecticut, an average of 27% of a family’s income goes toward childcare. At the same time, they said one in five people are unable to work in Connecticut because they must care for their children.” In December, Wilguess said she hoped that the tax abatement could help her keep prices stable for her clients. NBCConnecticut also reported, “Lawmakers hope that by 2028, it will eventually offer free childcare for families making less than $100,000 a year. Those who make more than that would have their childcare costs capped at 7 percent of their household income.”

This is not the first time the issue has come before the board and was rejected. Back in September of 2024, when the abatement was raised, five properties qualified. Tami L. Rossi, Stafford’s assessor, said that if the town abated 100% of the property taxes for all of these providers, it would represent a loss of $24,462 per year. A 50% abatement would result in a $12,231 annual loss. A flat discount of $1,000 per dwelling would have meant a $5,000 loss per year. With only three qualifying daycares now on the tax roster, those numbers would have changed.