Witkos, Case take on local concerns during forum

TORRINGTON — Growing concerns among chief local officials were greeted Tuesday with support from northwest Connecticut’s Republican delegation, which continues to battle poor policy practices by the Malloy administration.

Sen. Kevin Witkos (R-Canton) and Rep. Jay Case (R-Winchester) met with regional planning organization Northwest Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG) at the UConn-Torrington campus to discuss legislative issues that will directly impact the way municipal governments operate. Leaders from the 21-member coalition raised concerns with state finances and proposals aimed at increasing local taxes.

Sen. Witkos spoke about the governor’s reckless budget practices:

“The legislature has a huge job to rectify the mess of a budget the governor gave us. Unfortunately, it’s really a ‘wait and see’ situation. It’s too early to tell what small towns are going to see exactly, but I can’t imagine lawmakers approving many of the serious cuts the governor has put forward. That being said, the state’s financial situation is not good and I hope we can work together, in a bipartisan way to make progress and to ensure the least amount of pain is inflicted on taxpayers. It’s going to take a lot of hard work. Connecticut deserves better than the governor’s proposed budget.”

“One of the major pitfalls of this governor’s budget is his lackadaisical mentality toward human services and how deeply they impact our communities in northwest Connecticut,” Rep. Case said. “The administration wants to close the Torrington Department of Social Services office, which doesn’t just impact Torrington, but the rest of the towns surrounding it. With an increasing aging and vulnerable population, both Democrats and Republicans need to roll up our sleeves and focus budget cuts elsewhere.”