The current session of the General Assembly is expected to experience a number of twists and turns as municipal leaders seek passage of new local revenue sources rather than totally reliant on property taxes as well as funding from a slashing state government. Governor Dan Malloy will issue his budget address next week that he previews will include mandate relief for local communities. But which ones? And at what cost? I’ll give you here, but take there.
News release from Governor Dan Malloy:
Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the state budget proposal he will release next week includes substantial state mandate relief for towns and cities across Connecticut. The Governor explained that these proposals will provide municipalities with greater flexibility and additional tools for making local government leaner and more cost efficient.
To date, there have been several efforts in the state to study municipal mandates, and recommendations offered by various municipal organizations and state commissions on the topic. Many of those recommendations will be included in the Governor’s upcoming Fiscal Year 2018/2019 budget proposal. This mandate relief package is designed to increase local control over budgets and contracts, keep down project costs, modernize out-of-date requirements, and remove unnecessary red tape.
““True partnerships are built on listening to the concerns and responding to the needs of the other party,” Governor Malloy said. “Given the challenges we face in balancing the budget in the next biennium, the state and local municipalities must continue to strengthen our working partnership–and in some respects, begin to redefine this relationship.”
Governor Malloy continued, “My administration has heard local leaders loud and clear–they are asking for a reprieve from onerous state requirements and for the removal of burdensome red tape. The budget I will present to the General Assembly next week will provide greater flexibility in the areas cited most frequently in need of mandate relief by municipal leaders, organizations, and state commissions.”
Among other mandate relief proposals, specific provisions will:
· Eliminate municipal spending cap for most municipalities.
· Provide for the random selection of neutral arbitrators and the use of a single neutral through an agreement of the parties in the binding arbitration process.
· Allow towns to negotiate employee contributions under the Municipal Employees Retirement System.
· Exclude 2017 state aid increases from collective bargaining ability to pay consideration.
· Increase the prevailing wage threshold for the first time since 1991 to $1 million for new construction and $500,000 for remodeling.
· Eliminate the requirement for superintendents in small school districts and communities, and remove the three-year limitation on superintendent contracts.
· Provide that every town in a regional school district, including prospective regional relationships, will receive the Education Cost Sharing aid ratio of the town with the highest ratio in the region, under certain circumstances.
· Foster flexibility for school districts on curricular instruction and professional development.
· Ease the process for temporary certificate holders to teach in local schools.
· Allow for flexible town assessment rates, with Office of Policy and Management approval.
· Increase antique car assessment cap to $1,000 for vehicles less than 30 years old.
· Defer the CHRO municipal mandate.
· Allow CHRO respondents to opt out of mediation.
· Increase town clerk preservation fees and remit larger portion of revenue to municipalities.
““We all know that change is hard–many of these mandates have been on the books for quite a long time,” Governor Malloy said. “But it is our responsibility to routinely review and identify what is working and what is hindering our ability to deliver the best service to the people of our state. We can provide relief to our towns and cities–and this proposal is a significant step in that direction.”
I have absolutely no idea what these teeny-tiny incremental changes will do. I think Malloy has a crappy job as the Governor of Connecticut. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Between a rock and a hard place. None of these statements addressed the Moukawsher court decision. I keep on saying Connecticut is TWO States. One Poor and One Rich. This statement resolves nothing. It remains within the long tradition of Connecticut Governors who don’t want to rock the boat and just paper over issues. Only Lowell Weicker forced the State leaders to face reality.
I don’t respect our CT Governor. Each and every day he lies more and more. Frank G, you’re right, “tiny incremental changes” that don’t do a damned thing for the whole residents. His claiming he is working with Republicans on this budget are simply meaningless words. After last election he feels the party heat and he knows he is the primary reason for this heat and the Dem history of being majority is at great risk. Gov. Malloy and his majority Dems have cut, sliced, carved and bled the CT education system to an unrecognized education system. Low- and mid-income education systems are embarrassing. There is a serious problem when nearly half of the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th graders are reading and writing at 2, 3 and 4 grade levels lower than their actual grade, and math skills are even worse. When Social Studies, History and Civics became optional subjects, you decide what damage this is causing. P.S. Malloy and his majority Dem politicians adopted this “great” education system/program through the federal government via wink, wink Governor’s Assoc./Bill Gates and has caused irreparable damage to our kids and our next generation. Common Core, preparing kids for the Global Community and closing the test score gaps.
www .endtime.com/endtime-magazine-articles/core-problems-with-common-core/
The voters in Bridgeport will send Governor Malloy a mandate!
I tend to agree with Frank Gyure’s reaction. These are small adjustments, including the one regarding MERS. Hopefully the Bridgeport delegation is addressing the impact of Bridgeport Police overtime in the pension calculation. JML has been sounding the alarm. Is the Bridgeport delegation listening or just following orders from Democrat party leaders?
In a nutshell, the zombie voters of Bridgeport will vote to keep this liberal idiot around. What will it take to wake you up? As usual, these liberal fools have run out of your money and you’ll likely reward them with keys to the state anyway. Most of the country has caught up and moved away from liberalism yet here in the northeast we continue to vote as told. Keep listening to the people who make you fear voting for a conservative because you’ll be branded a racist, homophobe, xenophobic, or any other liberal made-up phobia. God forbid you’re a minority and a conservative as I am. Then you’re accused of turning your back on “your own.” Start by getting this jackass hippie governor out before the tolls come back, or your gas tax goes up, or for that matter, the sales tax. BTW, don’t blame them, it’s the fault of the FBI, Rush Limbaugh, the Russians, the unions; but never, ever, them.
youtu.be/K8E_zMLCRNg
youtu.be/0xRrUVVKigk
Yo man or woman, people of color haven’t referred to themselves as Minorities since the start of the 21st century. When referring to Bridgeport remember that white people are the minorities so if you want to continue to perpetuate the fallacy of your outrage as a person of color, just use the right jargon. C’mon, man or woman.
You’re absolutely correct. In the follow-the-leader world of liberalism, you keep changing terminology in the name of political correctness. Tyler Perry’s next movie should be a sequel to Diary of a Mad Female of Color. Oh that’s right, it wasn’t called that because the PC version is utter bullshit. Global warming is now climate change. Poor is now low economic status related to a person’s education and income. Gay is now same-gender loving. Senior citizen is now people of advanced age. Since according to you I can’t say minority, I guess as a Puerto Rican I want to be known as “a person from a Caribbean island who speaks Spanish, whose latitude and longitude are 18.2208 N, 66.5901 W.” Keep on following the herd, my sheeple. Oh no, I think now I offended sheep. I should have said ruminant mammal of Golden Fleece?
From representative Lavielle: In session on the House floor today to vote on the “refinancing” of the state’s debt obligations related to the State Employees’ Retirement System, which will cost the state, particularly those who are children now, $11 billion. Read that again, this agreement would cost the people of Connecticut $11 billion.
What Bpt State Legislators say or think, no one knows as usual. Promises, promises are nothing more than broken words in the political world.