A committee of Branford's Representative Town Meeting (RTM) will be asked to consider details which could lead to Branford instituting a new ordinance enabling tax exemptions for the town's Gold Star parents and spouses – those with Armed Services family members killed during military operations.

The request for review by the RTM's Rules and Ordinances Committee was brought by Branford RTM Majority Leader Ray Ingraham, who also serves as Jr. Commander of Post #83 American Legion of Branford.

"The families are put under tremendous duress and deserve to be rewarded for their loved one's sacrifice," said Ingraham in a Jan. 17 email sent to the media and veterans' groups. "Most are not veterans themselves and would not qualify for regular tax breaks afforded war time veterans."

In sending the request for committee review through RTM Moderator Dennis Flanigan, Ingraham noted the exemptions were put into Connecticut law on October 1, 2017 under Public Act (PA) 17-65.

According to language in PA 17-65, the new law allows for "any municipality, upon approval of its legislative body" to provide the tax exemptions to qualifying parents or a surviving spouse, noting the exemption is "...applied to the assessed value of an eligible parent's or surviving spouse's property, and, at the municipalities option, may be in an amount up to $20,000 or in an amount up to 10 percent of such assessed value." See related document for full text for PA 17-65.

Ingraham said the committee's research into the matter will include determining how many Gold Star spouses and parents are living Branford, and gathering their contact information for future notification. To assist the effort, Ingraham is reaching out to local media and veterans organizations to spread the word that responses are sought from Branford Gold Star family members. All information will be kept confidential.  Gold Star parents and spouses can contact Ingraham at ingradad@gmail.com