General Assembly Budget

The General Assembly Appropriations and Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committees are expected to release their proposed budget and tax package on Thursday, April 2. The package is expected to use the Governor’s proposed budget as a template, but legislative leaders in the majority believe that her budget underestimates the budget deficit by as much as $2 billion. That means the Committees’ (majority) budget will likely include additional budget cuts and revenue increases of about $1 billion each.

Aid to municipalities, one of the larger pots of money in the budget, is clearly on the chopping block. Speculation is that education funding could be cut about 5-10% from the Governor’s recommended levels.

The Committees’ budget proposal is another move in the chess game between the General Assembly and Governor Rell – one that ultimately will be resolved by negotiations between them. However, if the Committees’ budget significantly lowers municipal aid, then negotiations will likely start between the Governor’s numbers and the legislative majority numbers.

At the same time legislators remain cool to municipal calls for significant mandates relief and new revenue options for local governments and regions. This raises the specter that not only will municipal aid be cut this year, but municipalities would neither get mandates relief nor revenue alternatives.

Municipal Rally on April 8

CCM is organizing a rally of municipal officials at the State Capitol on Wednesday, April 8. CCM generally does not hold these types of events – but this is no ordinary year. If local officials ever need to turn out in big numbers, it’s now. A weak turnout will tell state officials including your state legislators, that your municipality is doing just fine, even with less state aid and no mandates relief or revenue options.

CCM urges you to attend, and bring 2-4 other people (e.g., superintendent of schools, department heads or other staff) from your town and city along with you.

• We will hold a press conference at 11:00 a.m. at the Legislative Office Building (LOB), (room to be announced). We need a large turnout of municipal officials to support speakers at the press conference;
• CCM will provide you with lunch at noon at the Officers Club at the State Armory, just across the street from the LOB;
• We urge you to contact your legislative delegation today and set up meetings with them for the afternoon of April 8th.

YOUR ACTION NEEDED

Contact your legislative delegation today.

• Urge them to oppose any budget and tax package that
  1. reduces state aid to municipalities,
  2. fails to provide significant mandates relief, and
  3. provides no new revenue sources to local governments/regions.
• Set up a meeting with them for the afternoon of April 8, at the state Legislative Office Building in Hartford.
• Contact Carolyn Ryan of CCM – let her know if you are attending on April 8.

  By email: cryan@ccm-ct.org
  By phone: (203) 498-3012
  By fax: (203) 498-5838

CCM staff will also follow up with phone calls to your office. We know you are busy and we do not want to be pests, but we believe it is vital that as many local officials turn out as possible.

If you have any questions, please contact Jim Finley (jfinley@#ccm-ct.org), Gian-Carl Casa (gcasa@ccmct. org), or Bob Labanara (rlabanara@ccm-ct.org) – or call CCM at (203) 498-3000.