IMRP Research Examines How Connecticut Supports and Honors Its Veterans

Upon the conclusion of the 2025 legislative session, the Connecticut General Assembly tasked the University of Connecticut’s School of Public Policy with reviewing the state’s veteran property tax exemptions and Municipal Veterans Representative program.

The applied research division for the school, the Institute of Municipal and Regional Policy, is leading the project to determine how the state supports and honors its veterans. Assistant research professor Dr. Lydia Wileden is leading the effort, which is scheduled for completion by January 1, 2027.

Connecticut maintains a history of aiding veterans and their dependents, housing the country’s first veterans’ hospital dating back to the Civil War. The state’s property tax exemption program dates back to the 1800s, and Connecticut is unique among states in mandating that all towns have an identified municipal liaison for veterans.

“Requests like this give us the opportunity to apply our research expertise to an area outside our traditional focus and demonstrate how the IMRP connects academic expertise with real-world policy challenges,” Wileden said.

Wileden brought a background in social science research, survey methods, interviewing, demography, and data and policy analysis to the assignment. She consulted with School of Public Policy colleagues, including Professor Eric Brunner, along with an advisory committee established under the legislation.

The Department of Veterans Affairs leadership, lawmakers from both political parties and legislative chambers, veterans, veteran service providers, and subject matter experts—such as delegates from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and the Connecticut Association of Assessing Officers—make up this advisory panel.

IMRP Research Examines How Connecticut Supports and Honors Its Veterans

Researchers conducted an extensive review of state legislative history alongside surveys, focus groups, and interviews. The team completed 58 veteran interviews, surpassing an original goal of 40 participants.

Throughout the fall of 2026, outreach efforts engaged participants via newsletters, social media, local Vet Reps, veteran organizations, and direct in-person contact at Stand Down 2026 hosted by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Researchers corresponded with more than 100 interested veterans and scheduled as many interview appointments as possible throughout October.

“It has been incredible to connect with so many veterans and hear their stories,” Wileden said.

One early interviewee shared a perspective that stayed with the research team. “Regardless of how long you served, you’re a veteran for life,” the respondent said.

“It’s been really remarkable to hear the ways people carry their military service with them, for good and for bad, forever after,” Wileden said.

Veterans generally expressed appreciation for state recognition and benefits tied to disability ratings, but some raised concerns. “Respondents are drawing a distinction between performative and meaningful recognition,” Wileden said. “Longstanding programs for veterans – like the Vet Rep program and the baseline exemption policy – feel to many like they have not kept up with the times.”

Communication regarding available services emerged as another major theme. Researchers are evaluating how veterans learn about benefits, which platforms prove most effective, and how to connect individuals to those resources simply and accurately.

The property tax study introduces additional financial complexities, intersecting with concepts of perceived deservedness, sacrifice, ableness, and individual circumstances. Researchers are examining benefit cliffs, where seemingly small differences in disability ratings result in significantly different levels of monetary assistance.

These findings will be weighed against demographic data, population projections, and the financial impact of property tax exemptions on municipalities. Susan Camoroda, an IMRP research assistant and U.S. Army veteran, brought her own perspective to the project.

Camoroda is a retired Army colonel who serves as a municipal Vet Rep, and is a recent UConn Master of Public Administration graduate and current Master of Social Work student. She highlighted the commitment of community Vet Reps, the resolve of municipal assessors to administer tax exemption policies equitably, and the readiness of veterans to recount their personal journeys.

“Over and over, a veteran emphasized that it is not so much the specific amount of tax exemption or other benefit, but rather the recognition of service through these benefits that veterans are most appreciative of,” Camoroda said.

Sixteen of the 58 interviewed veterans were women. “Through this process, I feel I have made 58 new friends – veteran brothers and sisters,” Camoroda said.

With veteran interviews finished, researchers are analyzing primary data alongside metrics provided by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, the U.S. Census Bureau, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, and the state’s Office of Fiscal Analysis. Findings will be reported to the General Assembly in time for the start of the next legislative session, and researchers previewed property tax findings at the Moving Beyond Conference in mid-December.

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