With just two days to go until the start of the new fiscal year, Governor Rell and General Assembly leaders have finally restarted negotiations over the biennial state budget.

As in the past, these negotiations are closed-door sessions and it is difficult to ferret out information on where things stand as the talks go forward. However, it is clear that municipal aid issues will be “on the table” and in danger -- if only because they are among the largest pots of money in the budget.

Both the Governor and legislative leaders have called municipal aid a priority, and the various budget proposals to date have, in one way or another, tried to maintain funding for ECS and some other grant programs (though other grants have been proposed to be cut – see enclosed for the ‘Best’ of the proposals).

Municipal officials need to continue to speak loudly to legislative leaders and the Governor to make sure that issues affecting municipalities remain a priority. Rest assured that other (non-municipal) beneficiaries of state assistance are pressuring leaders to leave their programs alone and cut elsewhere. The only way to help prevent cuts in municipal aid programs is to continue the unified municipal message.

YOUR ACTION NEEDED

Governor M. Jodi Rell
Governor.Rell@po.state.ct.us
860-566-4840

House Speaker Christopher Donovan
Christopher.donovan@cga.ct.gov
860-240-8500

Senate Republican Leader John McKinney
John.mckinney@cga.ct.gov
860-240-8800

Sen. President Pro Tempore Donald Williams
Williams@senatedems.ct.gov
860-240-8600

House Republican Leader Lawrence Cafero
Lawrence.cafero@housegop.ct.gov
860-240-8700