Stonington - First Selectman George Crouse and chief elected officials from several other communities have opposed a proposed General Assembly bill that would reclassify golf courses as open space, a move that would dramatically lower their assessments and the taxes they pay.

In Stonington's case, the change would affect Pequot Golf Course, Elmridge Golf Course and the Stonington Country Club, lowering their combined assessments by more than $1,949,420.

The change would mean the town would receive $39,826 less in taxes from the golf courses. The assessments of buildings and parking lots would not be affected.

In his letter to the legislature's Transportation Committee which held a public hearing on the bill last Friday, Crouse said that the law would become "Another unfunded mandate to our town and other already strained municipalities."

In order to offset the reduced assessment, Crouse said it would take the construction of more than five new homes valued at $500,000 and assessed at $350,000 each.

"This proposal comes at a time when the town is facing the building and remodeling of our schools and repairs of roads as a result of excess weather effects. With the reduction of state funding to municipalities this only adds to the municipal burden," he wrote.

Crouse was joined by municipal leaders from Colchester, Goshen, Oxford and East Granby, who opposed the measure during a public hearing Friday before the legislature's Planning and Development Committee.

They too pointed out the loss in tax revenue they would be facing.

But in written testimony submitted to the committee, Mike Moraghan, the executive director of the Connecticut State Golf Association, supported the change for four reasons.

He wrote that golf courses owned by families or individuals have to compete with municipally owned courses that do not pay taxes. In addition, he said courses in northern Connecticut have to compete with courses in Massachusetts where courses have been given favorable tax treatment for the past 50 years in an effort to preserve them.

"So this in part is a fairness issue," he wrote.

Second, he said the golf business has been in a gradual decline and many courses are in danger of going out of business. He added a decrease in taxes and more predictable assessment process will increase their survival rate.

Third, he said courses, like forests and farms "are often the last line of defense against reckless development and urban sprawl" and, fourth, are unique venues for charitable fundraising.

John Drabik, the owner of Cedar Ridge Golf Course in East Lyme, said courses are nothing more than "improved pastureland" and approval of the bill would "level the field" and allow courses to be competitive with each other.

j.wojtas@theday.com

Twitter: @joewojtas