Greenwich Legislators Cast A Wary Eye on Proposed State Budget

Greenwich’s legislative delegation is casting somewhat of a collective wary eye at the two-year $37 billion budget proposed this week by Gov. Dannel Malloy.

The proposal includes a massive proposal for transportation, criminal justice reform and if adopted as presented, would represent a total increase of 3.1 percent from the prior fiscal year. It includes $590 million in cuts to the current services budget.

State Sen. Scott Frantz (R-36) said this week, “When so many other states have reduced taxes and have done so because they have been fiscally prudent over the last three to four years, I continue to worry that Connecticut will continue down a road of budgetary uncertainty.

“We are once again, looking at increases of about 3% per year for the next two years while we should be looking at a zero percent increase or even better, a reduced budget, based on the projected $2.8 billion deficit,” Frantz also said.

The senator from the Riverside neighborhood of town also said, “Being in a position to have lowered taxes meaningfully would have put our state on a much better footing for economic and job growth going forward.”

State Representatives Livvy Floren, (R-149), Mike Bocchino (R-150), and Fred Camillo (R-151) also said they are cautiously optimistic about the proposed budget because it “continues to put Connecticut’s finances at risk and will further hurt businesses in a state that is already the most unfavorable toward them. However, it continues to place transportation at the forefront and makes a conscious effort to stay under the spending cap.”

The optimism remains in Malloy’s promise to improving transportation—this is particularly important to the commuters of Greenwich who rely both on roads and rail transportation. It also continues to level fund Education Cost Sharing grants and works to provide full day kindergarten across the state.

“The Governor’s budget proposal was visionary -- it was big and it was bold. Living within our revenue means and under the spending cap while level funding Education Cost Sharing grants is a laudable goal, as is providing Kindergarten for all students. However, this is just a first step, a blueprint. Now, the “heavy lifting” begins as the legislature works to iron out the myriad details,” Floren said in a statement.

Greenwich residents should be happy to hear that reinstatement of highway tolls were not in Malloy’s proposed budget, as had been speculated earlier this session.

“I’m pleased the Governor is no longer talking about tolls and while his transportation plan is laudable, there is no funding for it. I hope that the Governor will consider the plan we released last week which will provide the funds for these transportation projects to become reality,” Bocchino said.

In addition, while the Malloy’s plan lowers the sales tax it increases state revenue by eliminating exemptions. The proposal eliminates the sales tax exemption on clothing and footwear and lowers the threshold for sale tax free week from $300 to $100.

“What we need is relief is for the people of Connecticut, whose wallets are constantly getting lighter. While lowering the sales tax seems great, the reality is that this is actually a tax increase because the exemptions are eliminated,” Camillo said. “Still, I applaud the Governor for finally agreeing to eliminate the Business Entity Tax, long a Republican objective, and for his focus on a transportation road map, even if the details are not apparent at this point.”

The budget won’t be finalized until late May or early June.

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