The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities today (Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009) called on the General Assembly to reject proposals presented today that would cut in the middle of the fiscal year state aid for special education by $8 million and state aid for local bridge repairs by $35 million.

"It is not a great start to the 2009 General Assembly session when the State's first response to the budget crisis is to cut state aid to towns and cities right in the middle of the fiscal year," said Jim Finley, CCM Executive Director.

"Cutting back state aid for local bridge repairs in the middle of the fiscal year would break a promise to towns and cities to reimburse them for bridge repair expenditures that have already been made," noted Finley. If local bridge aid was cut, New Haven, for example, would lose $1.05 million in aid, Glastonbury $680,000, and Southbury, $480,000.

The cutback in special education reimbursements would result in a five percent rollback in aid across the board for towns and cities. The special education mandate is one of the fastest growing unfunded mandates on towns and cities. The next scheduled special education payment is in April 15.

CCM appreciates the growing opposition among legislators to including these mid-year cutbacks in the State's deficit mitigation plans.