Republicans and Democrats agree on the need for more property tax relief at a time of an ever-increasing state budget surplus, rising inflation and a soaring cost-of-living in Connecticut.

So it bodes well for the chances of bipartisan relief measures to emerge from the tax-writing legislative Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee early next month.

During a public hearing Friday on proposed tax-relief measures, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said they would support raising the property tax credit beyond the governor’s proposed $300. While the proposed legislation would provide $400 tax credits for cars and real estate, there was testimony, during the hearing, for raising it to $500.

They also support raising the limit for married joint filers to make more money and still be eligible for the property tax credit; and possibly allowing some personal income tax thresholds and exemption amounts to be indexed to inflation, particularly for working-class families that a recent state report on taxes indicates are feeling the brunt of economic pressure.

State Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford, co-chairman of the committee, noted that relief for renters is another major goal of the committee this year, with pending legislation based on a similar law in Massachusetts.

Gov. Ned Lamont last month proposed $336 million in tax relief, including a $300 property tax credit, as well as a statewide limit on local vehicle taxes. Currently, the $200 state property credit is limited to seniors and families with children. Lamont’s plan would be limited to singles making less than $109,500, and $130,500 for married people filing jointly.

Patrick O’Brien, research and policy fellow at the Connecticut Voice for Children, the New Haven advocacy organization, said increased and reformed property tax credits, as well as the renter relief, are important issues. He supported raising the threshold for married couples to about $200,000, thus ending the so-called marriage penalty.

“Overall, the property tax credit coupled with the rent deduction would provide some much-need relief,” O’Brien said. “It would help to make the tax system fairer and that’s important, because as we show, our unfair tax system exacerbates income inequality, adds to the racial income gap and contributes to a lot of families struggling to make ends meet.”

O’Brien said that the average middle-class family is paying about $4,200 in income taxes and $2,400 is due to the state’s failure to allow for inflation. “When the income tax was created in 1991, it had an exemption of $24,000 for married filers making up to $48,000,” he said. “So essentially half of their income was exempt from the income tax to begin with. That means that a family making up to about $95,000 now would have $47,500 exempt from the income tax. Now, the average middle-class family has their entire incomes is fully taxed.”

O’Brien said the amount of increase over time is going to have a harsh effect for working-class families. “Basically, every budget since 1991 has had a broad-based tax increase because this is built into it,” O’Brien.

On Friday, the non-partisan legislative Office of Fiscal Analysis projected the surplus in the current fiscal year, which ends at midnight June 30, to be $1.75 billion, up from $1.48 billion in February, which was an increase of more than $571 million from January thanks to increased sales and income taxes.

State Rep. Holly Cheeseman, R-East Lyme, a top Republican on the committee, said support for wide-ranging relief will be bipartisan this year. “We have to fix this now, before it gets out of hand,” Cheeseman said.

State Rep. Tom Delnicki, R-South Windsor, the former mayor of that town, said property taxes have increased in recent years while state support has decreased.

“This whole issue of the tax credit is so key and critical when it comes to the average person, the average family, a married couple, you name it, because of how heavy the property tax burden is,” Delnicki said. “It’s a good jump from two to four hundred, but I truly feel we can do better. And I hold $500 as a target. We have to do something to help people here.”

The committee’s deadline for action is April 7.