Fairfield Spared from Malloy’s Funding Cuts in Bipartisan Compromise Budget

State Senator Tony Hwang and State Representatives Brenda Kupchick and Laura Devlin were encouraged and relieved upon the release of the bipartisan state budget bill which will restore the draconian funding cuts to Fairfield that were made in Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s Executive Order.

The bill can be viewed here:  www.cga.ct.gov/2017/TOB/s/2017SB-01502-R00-SB.htm

The budget bill will not redistribute the state’s teacher’s pension obligation to local governments. It also implements key structural limits on how state taxpayer money is spent.

Under the bipartisan proposed budget, Fairfield’s municipal aid grant will now be $4,722,182 in Fiscal Year 2018 and $4,493,273 in Fiscal Year 2019, which includes newly allocated educational funding of $1,032,807 in Fiscal Year 2018 and $1,091,575 in Fiscal Year 2019 instead of the zero ($0) proposed by Gov. Malloy’s Executive Order. (Town aid chart attached)

“Thank goodness, Fairfield will be held relatively harmless,” Sen. Hwang said.  “This bipartisan compromise protects municipal and education aid to Fairfield, and that’s very good news for property taxpayers, students, and educators.  This budget will not place the state’s teacher pension obligation burdens onto towns and local taxpayers.”

“While I’m not in favor of every piece of the compromise budget, I am grateful we were able to protect most of Fairfield’s funding and avert the shift of teacher pension costs to Fairfield,” said Rep. Kupchick. “It is also encouraging to see that a true spending cap and bonding cap are included along with mandatory votes by the legislature on all union contracts. I look forward to the debate in the House on Thursday.”

 “This has been a difficult process and it’s unfortunate that the bipartisan budget passed last month was vetoed by the governor. This new budget is a bipartisan compromise that does protect the Fairfield community from the governor’s drastic cuts and puts in place long-needed structural reforms,” said Rep. Devlin. “Our government is better when both parties work together for the good of the state. This budget, while no means perfect, gives hope to Connecticut residents that ‘business as usual’ in Hartford is no longer an acceptable practice. We must continue to strive for a more effective and responsible state government.”

The bill is expected to pass by wide margins in the state legislature this week. If the governor vetoes the bill, the lawmakers said they would attempt an override of the veto.