Politics & Government
Winners, Losers In Lamont's Budget Proposal: How Did Our Town Do?
We break down how much every Connecticut town stands to gain or lose in state aid under Lamont's proposal.
HARTFORD, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont’s budget proposal revealed how towns would face when all municipal aid and teacher pension contributions are taken into effect. The majority of towns would effectively lose state aid when teacher pension contributions are taken into effect.
Seven towns would effectively lose more than $2 million in aid in fiscal year 2021 compared to fiscal year 2019 while more than 20 would lose between $1 million and $2 million. (See how much your town stands to gain or lose below.)
The governor still has to convince the state legislature to adopt the plan.
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Lamont would gradually ease in the teacher pension contribution. Currently teachers pay into the pension plan from their salary and the state contributes the rest. The pension fund is in seriously bad shape after decades of underfunding and optimistic investment return projections. Lamont is also pushing to graduate payments into the plan over a longer period of time. Currently the state pays $1.3 billion into the fund and that amount is set to soar to $3.4 billion by 2032. The amount could be even more if the financial markets take a downturn.
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Former Gov. Dannel Malloy made a similar proposal to have local towns contribute toward teacher pension costs. Both have argued that it effectively subsidizes districts with higher teacher salaries. Opponents of the proposal argue that towns’ hands are effectively tied between binding arbitration for union contract negotiations and towns having no say in negotiating contribution levels toward pensions.
Teachers in Connecticut don’t pay into Social Security and aren’t able to collect benefits based on their teaching work. Connecticut is one of 13 states where teachers have an independent retiring system, according to the Office of Legislative Research.
Municipal aid from the state comes in a number of forms including education cost sharing, town aid road grants and some reimbursement for non-taxable property owned by the state, colleges and hospitals.
Overall Lamont is asking for $23.9 million in contributions for fiscal year 2020 from local school districts and $49.3 million in fiscal year 2020. However, when factoring in all statutory aid the difference in funding to local municipalities would be $9.77 million less in fiscal year 2020 than estimates for 2019 aid. It would be $10.7 million less in fiscal year 2021.
Municipalities would be responsible for at least 25 percent of the normal pension cost paid on behalf of the state with districts who pay their teachers more than the median salary across the state contributing proportionally more. Distressed municipalities would contribute five percent of the normal cost.
Requiring towns to pick up part of the pension cost will place a large hardship on small towns, said Betsy Gara, executive director of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns.
“Requiring towns to pick up millions of dollars in teachers’ pension costs without giving towns any opportunity to manage these costs going forward is simply unfair,” Gara said. “Towns have had no say in in negotiating benefits or contribution levels, which are set in statute. In addition, binding arbitration laws limit the ability of towns to negotiate teachers’ salaries, which contribute to benefit costs,” explained Gara.
Connecticut also has a minimum budget requirement law that prevents towns from budgeting less for education than the previous year with some exceptions. Towns that do so risk losing substantial amounts of state aid.
Below are the top 10 municipalities that will gain more money after everything is said and done between all municipal aid and the teacher pension contribution for fiscal year 2021 under Lamont's plan. This is compared to fiscal year 2019 estimates:
- Waterbury $12,929,020
- New Britain $7,207,212
- Hartford $5,509,445
- East Hartford $4,548,568
- New Haven $4,417,208
- Bridgeport $4,221,064
- Danbury $3,757,765
- West Haven $3,022,498
- Meriden $2,660,390
- Hamden $2,369,796
And below are the ten districts that stand to effectively lose the most:
- Glastonbury $-2,635,714
- Greenwich $-2,581,255
- Trumbull $-2,408,685
- South Windsor $-2,323,926
- Colchester $-2,290,454
- Monroe $-2,127,703
- Tolland $-2,011,448
- Wallingford $-1,801,350
- Clinton $-1,682,835
- Milford $-1,585,335
Here is a town-by-town breakdown
| Grantee | FY 2019 Estimated | FY 2020 Recommended | FY 2021 Recommended | FY 2020 Net Change | FY 2021 Net Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andover | $2,414,726 | $2,176,736 | $1,948,006 | -$237,990 | -$466,720 |
| Ansonia | $17,623,724 | $18,188,847 | $18,786,717 | $565,123 | $1,162,993 |
| Ashford | $4,018,228 | $3,759,976 | $3,491,569 | -$258,252 | -$526,659 |
| Avon | $1,516,097 | $1,078,368 | $638,282 | -$437,729 | -$877,815 |
| Barkhamsted | $1,872,547 | $1,697,651 | $1,571,322 | -$174,896 | -$301,225 |
| Beacon Falls | $4,337,783 | $4,169,279 | $4,043,705 | -$168,504 | -$294,078 |
| Berlin | $7,585,594 | $7,058,818 | $6,644,189 | -$526,776 | -$941,405 |
| Bethany | $2,274,157 | $1,997,260 | $1,777,663 | -$276,897 | -$496,494 |
| Bethel | $8,700,812 | $8,421,346 | $8,135,027 | -$279,466 | -$565,785 |
| Bethlehem | $1,486,677 | $1,393,169 | $1,289,431 | -$93,508 | -$197,246 |
| Bloomfield | $8,941,161 | $8,997,822 | $9,069,494 | $56,661 | $128,333 |
| Bolton | $3,107,103 | $2,953,081 | $2,762,123 | -$154,022 | -$344,980 |
| Bozrah | $1,593,466 | $1,480,246 | $1,417,169 | -$113,220 | -$176,297 |
| Branford | $3,385,155 | $3,345,675 | $3,321,108 | -$39,480 | -$64,047 |
| Bridgeport | $216,542,679 | $218,360,016 | $220,763,743 | $1,817,337 | $4,221,064 |
| Bridgewater | $234,165 | $216,955 | $202,799 | -$17,210 | -$31,366 |
| Bristol | $50,404,161 | $51,230,223 | $52,202,279 | $826,062 | $1,798,118 |
| Brookfield | $1,972,938 | $1,548,626 | $1,136,577 | -$424,312 | -$836,361 |
| Brooklyn | $7,623,455 | $7,381,516 | $7,246,168 | -$241,939 | -$377,287 |
| Burlington | $4,540,121 | $4,117,363 | $3,750,613 | -$422,758 | -$789,508 |
| Canaan | $453,076 | $404,741 | $363,490 | -$48,335 | -$89,586 |
| Canterbury | $4,674,442 | $4,318,856 | $3,924,262 | -$355,586 | -$750,180 |
| Canton | $3,746,120 | $3,670,789 | $3,602,048 | -$75,331 | -$144,072 |
| Chaplin | $2,123,517 | $1,874,784 | $1,703,515 | -$248,733 | -$420,002 |
| Cheshire | $14,347,127 | $13,922,237 | $13,516,813 | -$424,890 | -$830,314 |
| Chester | $1,003,566 | $1,031,269 | $1,062,441 | $27,703 | $58,875 |
| Clinton | $6,580,179 | $5,706,941 | $4,897,344 | -$873,238 | -$1,682,835 |
| Colchester | $13,451,018 | $12,238,239 | $11,160,564 | -$1,212,779 | -$2,290,454 |
| Colebrook | $685,161 | $614,575 | $552,430 | -$70,586 | -$132,731 |
| Columbia | $2,726,404 | $2,541,581 | $2,372,850 | -$184,823 | -$353,554 |
| Cornwall | $284,001 | $268,399 | $257,484 | -$15,602 | -$26,517 |
| Coventry | $8,852,407 | $8,212,034 | $7,610,674 | -$640,373 | -$1,241,733 |
| Cromwell | $5,166,157 | $5,196,640 | $5,235,852 | $30,483 | $69,695 |
| Danbury | $40,695,312 | $42,540,179 | $44,453,077 | $1,844,867 | $3,757,765 |
| Darien | $897,333 | $448,368 | -$10,673 | -$448,965 | -$908,006 |
| Deep River | $2,020,977 | $1,960,612 | $1,916,507 | -$60,365 | -$104,470 |
| Derby | $9,752,655 | $10,095,603 | $10,457,660 | $342,948 | $705,005 |
| Durham | $4,145,584 | $3,619,087 | $3,098,431 | -$526,497 | -$1,047,153 |
| Eastford | $1,302,305 | $1,235,947 | $1,155,161 | -$66,358 | -$147,144 |
| East Granby | $2,237,038 | $2,097,238 | $2,005,785 | -$139,800 | -$231,253 |
| East Haddam | $4,035,051 | $3,944,093 | $3,817,011 | -$90,958 | -$218,040 |
| East Hampton | $7,735,022 | $7,307,542 | $6,809,629 | -$427,480 | -$925,393 |
| East Hartford | $57,643,790 | $59,972,069 | $62,192,358 | $2,328,279 | $4,548,568 |
| East Haven | $21,351,183 | $21,337,300 | $21,376,321 | -$13,883 | $25,138 |
| East Lyme | $7,960,331 | $7,128,258 | $6,414,101 | -$832,073 | -$1,546,230 |
| Easton | $532,905 | $409,954 | $291,860 | -$122,951 | -$241,045 |
| East Windsor | $6,910,523 | $6,816,231 | $6,738,475 | -$94,292 | -$172,048 |
| Ellington | $10,412,539 | $10,406,078 | $10,408,928 | -$6,461 | -$3,611 |
| Enfield | $31,932,440 | $32,174,605 | $32,481,612 | $242,165 | $549,172 |
| Essex | $451,763 | $409,971 | $374,405 | -$41,792 | -$77,358 |
| Fairfield | $4,495,472 | $3,751,101 | $3,023,855 | -$744,371 | -$1,471,617 |
| Farmington | $4,931,081 | $4,492,577 | $4,068,877 | -$438,504 | -$862,204 |
| Franklin | $1,049,524 | $859,976 | $713,547 | -$189,548 | -$335,977 |
| Glastonbury | $7,208,009 | $5,887,703 | $4,572,295 | -$1,320,306 | -$2,635,714 |
| Goshen | $422,188 | $389,000 | $361,763 | -$33,188 | -$60,425 |
| Granby | $5,780,805 | $5,427,896 | $5,149,959 | -$352,909 | -$630,846 |
| Greenwich | $2,062,136 | $787,820 | -$519,119 | -$1,274,316 | -$2,581,255 |
| Griswold | $11,254,963 | $11,276,578 | $11,314,108 | $21,615 | $59,145 |
| Groton | $29,307,793 | $28,982,336 | $28,675,355 | -$325,457 | -$632,438 |
| Guilford | $3,250,127 | $2,472,863 | $1,710,256 | -$777,264 | -$1,539,871 |
| Haddam | $2,350,580 | $2,308,035 | $2,273,930 | -$42,545 | -$76,650 |
| Hamden | $34,662,558 | $35,368,463 | $37,032,354 | $705,905 | $2,369,796 |
| Hampton | $1,440,181 | $1,250,722 | $1,080,240 | -$189,459 | -$359,941 |
| Hartford | $272,214,564 | $274,894,689 | $277,724,009 | $2,680,125 | $5,509,445 |
| Hartland | $1,483,056 | $1,325,973 | $1,166,322 | -$157,083 | -$316,734 |
| Harwinton | $2,913,501 | $2,713,321 | $2,521,222 | -$200,180 | -$392,279 |
| Hebron | $6,827,849 | $6,114,152 | $5,468,566 | -$713,697 | -$1,359,283 |
| Kent | $395,843 | $372,040 | $354,048 | -$23,803 | -$41,795 |
| Killingly | $17,423,799 | $17,297,195 | $17,192,461 | -$126,604 | -$231,338 |
| Killingworth | $2,363,337 | $2,225,809 | $1,971,241 | -$137,528 | -$392,096 |
| Lebanon | $5,547,199 | $5,030,078 | $4,502,304 | -$517,121 | -$1,044,895 |
| Ledyard | $13,833,310 | $13,359,898 | $12,913,817 | -$473,412 | -$919,493 |
| Lisbon | $3,529,348 | $3,103,704 | $2,692,725 | -$425,644 | -$836,623 |
| Litchfield | $1,904,159 | $1,771,058 | $1,622,925 | -$133,101 | -$281,234 |
| Lyme | $283,312 | $256,896 | $234,258 | -$26,416 | -$49,054 |
| Madison | $1,341,749 | $1,139,619 | $948,099 | -$202,130 | -$393,650 |
| Manchester | $40,060,168 | $40,846,885 | $41,711,609 | $786,717 | $1,651,441 |
| Mansfield | $19,365,726 | $18,754,801 | $18,253,430 | -$610,925 | -$1,112,296 |
| Marlborough | $3,333,952 | $3,209,178 | $3,041,797 | -$124,774 | -$292,155 |
| Meriden | $66,575,820 | $67,754,449 | $69,236,210 | $1,178,629 | $2,660,390 |
| Middlebury | $1,237,653 | $1,182,349 | $1,103,646 | -$55,304 | -$134,007 |
| Middlefield | $2,453,483 | $2,257,408 | $2,062,642 | -$196,075 | -$390,841 |
| Middletown | $32,546,980 | $33,041,875 | $33,600,022 | $494,895 | $1,053,042 |
| Milford | $14,395,929 | $13,699,429 | $12,810,594 | -$696,500 | -$1,585,335 |
| Monroe | $6,837,646 | $5,764,872 | $4,709,943 | -$1,072,774 | -$2,127,703 |
| Montville | $15,736,693 | $15,720,473 | $15,727,480 | -$16,220 | -$9,213 |
| Morris | $326,672 | $314,269 | $304,313 | -$12,403 | -$22,359 |
| Naugatuck | $32,814,593 | $33,544,422 | $34,077,146 | $729,829 | $1,262,553 |
| New Britain | $103,087,712 | $106,414,425 | $110,294,924 | $3,326,713 | $7,207,212 |
| New Canaan | $922,462 | $419,226 | -$89,668 | -$503,236 | -$1,012,130 |
| New Fairfield | $4,484,562 | $3,855,924 | $3,212,854 | -$628,638 | -$1,271,708 |
| New Hartford | $3,511,273 | $3,262,391 | $3,070,188 | -$248,882 | -$441,085 |
| New Haven | $226,831,638 | $228,767,442 | $231,248,846 | $1,935,804 | $4,417,208 |
| Newington | $16,825,093 | $16,816,269 | $16,821,990 | -$8,824 | -$3,103 |
| New London | $36,125,627 | $37,034,517 | $38,082,965 | $908,890 | $1,957,338 |
| New Milford | $13,380,119 | $12,596,749 | $11,917,657 | -$783,370 | -$1,462,462 |
| Newtown | $7,070,459 | $6,820,507 | $6,412,828 | -$249,952 | -$657,631 |
| Norfolk | $396,811 | $382,710 | $373,286 | -$14,101 | -$23,525 |
| North Branford | $8,486,826 | $7,915,084 | $7,351,405 | -$571,742 | -$1,135,421 |
| North Canaan | $2,511,284 | $2,276,499 | $2,072,729 | -$234,785 | -$438,555 |
| North Haven | $6,612,710 | $6,343,263 | $6,145,538 | -$269,447 | -$467,172 |
| North Stonington | $3,910,462 | $3,700,958 | $3,515,525 | -$209,504 | -$394,937 |
| Norwalk | $18,153,173 | $17,410,741 | $16,722,252 | -$742,432 | -$1,430,921 |
| Norwich | $41,720,740 | $42,751,240 | $43,909,080 | $1,030,500 | $2,188,340 |
| Old Lyme | $573,162 | $485,711 | $400,744 | -$87,451 | -$172,418 |
| Old Saybrook | $534,295 | $451,731 | $375,255 | -$82,564 | -$159,040 |
| Orange | $2,135,678 | $1,687,643 | $1,245,800 | -$448,035 | -$889,878 |
| Oxford | $4,899,292 | $4,225,780 | $3,611,652 | -$673,512 | -$1,287,640 |
| Plainfield | $15,991,302 | $15,262,957 | $14,758,188 | -$728,345 | -$1,233,114 |
| Plainville | $11,515,138 | $11,588,347 | $11,675,445 | $73,209 | $160,307 |
| Plymouth | $10,354,565 | $10,309,685 | $10,276,746 | -$44,880 | -$77,819 |
| Pomfret | $3,218,669 | $2,942,842 | $2,671,728 | -$275,827 | -$546,941 |
| Portland | $4,810,598 | $4,813,376 | $4,828,997 | $2,778 | $18,399 |
| Preston | $4,456,830 | $4,301,089 | $4,222,634 | -$155,741 | -$234,196 |
| Prospect | $5,488,917 | $5,127,401 | $4,782,141 | -$361,516 | -$706,776 |
| Putnam | $9,182,147 | $9,157,192 | $9,145,800 | -$24,955 | -$36,347 |
| Redding | $664,009 | $463,832 | $263,917 | -$200,177 | -$400,092 |
| Ridgefield | $1,831,494 | $1,345,973 | $856,383 | -$485,521 | -$975,111 |
| Rocky Hill | $5,848,083 | $5,942,307 | $6,043,454 | $94,224 | $195,371 |
| Roxbury | $402,602 | $371,419 | $344,473 | -$31,183 | -$58,129 |
| Salem | $3,146,806 | $2,820,064 | $2,488,720 | -$326,742 | -$658,086 |
| Salisbury | $360,476 | $334,407 | $314,162 | -$26,069 | -$46,314 |
| Scotland | $1,569,805 | $1,462,804 | $1,363,168 | -$107,001 | -$206,637 |
| Seymour | $10,914,710 | $10,891,269 | $10,879,334 | -$23,441 | -$35,376 |
| Sharon | $441,442 | $417,972 | $401,520 | -$23,470 | -$39,922 |
| Shelton | $7,435,699 | $7,409,236 | $7,411,803 | -$26,463 | -$23,896 |
| Sherman | $282,850 | $242,006 | $203,122 | -$40,844 | -$79,728 |
| Simsbury | $6,721,673 | $6,477,272 | $6,239,586 | -$244,401 | -$482,087 |
| Somers | $8,822,219 | $8,485,105 | $8,239,739 | -$337,114 | -$582,480 |
| Southbury | $4,115,760 | $4,077,372 | $4,051,089 | -$38,388 | -$64,671 |
| Southington | $22,142,973 | $21,891,569 | $21,669,285 | -$251,404 | -$473,688 |
| South Windsor | $14,097,575 | $12,927,190 | $11,773,649 | -$1,170,385 | -$2,323,926 |
| Sprague | $3,249,085 | $3,284,437 | $3,323,697 | $35,352 | $74,612 |
| Stafford | $10,889,068 | $10,525,651 | $10,255,927 | -$363,417 | -$633,141 |
| Stamford | $19,242,819 | $18,697,627 | $18,227,330 | -$545,192 | -$1,015,489 |
| Sterling | $3,504,498 | $3,487,071 | $3,475,803 | -$17,427 | -$28,695 |
| Stonington | $2,061,523 | $1,594,758 | $1,141,782 | -$466,765 | -$919,741 |
| Stratford | $26,834,070 | $27,348,213 | $27,917,814 | $514,143 | $1,083,744 |
| Suffield | $11,549,255 | $11,350,662 | $11,178,476 | -$198,593 | -$370,779 |
| Thomaston | $6,253,849 | $6,121,770 | $5,986,963 | -$132,079 | -$266,886 |
| Thompson | $8,066,621 | $8,004,953 | $7,956,521 | -$61,668 | -$110,100 |
| Tolland | $10,651,413 | $9,662,773 | $8,639,965 | -$988,640 | -$2,011,448 |
| Torrington | $27,177,725 | $28,021,384 | $28,998,607 | $843,659 | $1,820,882 |
| Trumbull | $4,322,404 | $3,115,169 | $1,913,719 | -$1,207,235 | -$2,408,685 |
| Union | $398,921 | $389,896 | $375,564 | -$9,025 | -$23,357 |
| Vernon | $21,139,881 | $21,328,937 | $21,540,072 | $189,056 | $400,191 |
| Voluntown | $2,760,337 | $2,423,103 | $2,141,940 | -$337,234 | -$618,397 |
| Wallingford | $24,422,956 | $23,439,159 | $22,621,606 | -$983,797 | -$1,801,350 |
| Warren | $246,188 | $232,936 | $222,528 | -$13,252 | -$23,660 |
| Washington | $456,705 | $415,538 | $380,826 | -$41,167 | -$75,879 |
| Waterbury | $165,992,497 | $172,317,921 | $178,921,517 | $6,325,424 | $12,929,020 |
| Waterford | $1,078,414 | $824,749 | $574,833 | -$253,665 | -$503,581 |
| Watertown | $12,934,095 | $12,782,368 | $12,647,860 | -$151,727 | -$286,235 |
| Westbrook | $731,624 | $677,196 | $626,838 | -$54,428 | -$104,786 |
| West Hartford | $24,099,598 | $23,839,924 | $23,639,701 | -$259,674 | -$459,897 |
| West Haven | $54,008,233 | $55,455,102 | $57,030,731 | $1,446,869 | $3,022,498 |
| Weston | $662,800 | $376,438 | $83,071 | -$286,362 | -$579,729 |
| Westport | $1,506,880 | $893,085 | $264,442 | -$613,795 | -$1,242,438 |
| Wethersfield | $10,594,561 | $10,930,805 | $11,309,678 | $336,244 | $715,117 |
| Willington | $3,923,854 | $3,741,018 | $3,584,634 | -$182,836 | -$339,220 |
| Wilton | $1,321,162 | $837,091 | $342,941 | -$484,071 | -$978,221 |
| Winchester | $8,990,393 | $8,961,355 | $8,949,889 | -$29,038 | -$40,504 |
| Windham | $33,735,176 | $34,515,061 | $35,462,773 | $779,885 | $1,727,597 |
| Windsor | $14,512,361 | $14,288,479 | $14,085,266 | -$223,882 | -$427,095 |
| Windsor Locks | $8,050,206 | $7,971,694 | $7,903,187 | -$78,512 | -$147,019 |
| Wolcott | $13,616,242 | $12,887,321 | $12,156,351 | -$728,921 | -$1,459,891 |
| Woodbridge | $1,014,691 | $798,234 | $588,522 | -$216,457 | -$426,169 |
| Woodbury | $1,754,441 | $1,783,222 | $1,820,019 | $28,781 | $65,578 |
| Woodstock | $5,720,879 | $5,421,076 | $5,148,617 | -$299,803 | -$572,262 |
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