Let's Talk: What's Your Reaction to the Tax Increase of 2.76%?

West Hartford Patch is launching a new discussion forum that will appear every Wednesday at 1 p.m. We're hoping our readers will join in the conversation and talk about the important issues facing the town.

We launch the feature today with a discussion of the town budget adopted on Tuesday night. The Republican minority on the council offered a number of amendments in an attempt to reduce the 2.76 percent tax rate increase, including reopening contracts for town and school employees to ask them to increase their benefit contributions.

Democrats on the council countered that town employees — including all teachers who accepted a hard wage freeze for next year — have already made significant sacrifices and that opening negotiations was no guarantee of finding savings.

What's your take on this? Is West Hartford pricing itself out of the market by raising taxes or is the town doing the best it can in a difficult economy to preserve the services its known for?

So let's talk. Please add your comments below.