The Town of Westport will lose $417,699 of an estimated $3.47 million in state aid as part of the state’s Office of Policy and Management’s (OPM) $15 million in cuts announced Friday, Town Operations Manager Dewey Loselle said today.
“The cuts in aid have now been allocated among the state’s towns and cities, and Westport has taken a particularly large reduction in comparison with the other 168 municipalities,” Loselle said.
He said that Westport’s reduction of $417,699 “from its relatively modest state statutory aid amount of $3,478,609,” is 12.01 percent, the second highest in the state behind Greenwich, “and our absolute dollar reduction is the fifth highest in the state.”
Loselle said the cuts were based on the previously approved $20 million in municipal aid reduction incorporated into the state budget over the next two fiscal years.
“The cuts were intended to have a neutral impact on municipal budgets with savings realized through the effort of the Municipal Opportunities for Regional Efficiencies (MORE) Commission,” Loselle said.
However, savings have yet to be identified by the MORE, resulting in OPM cuts. According to the State Legislative Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA), the distribution of the cuts is based on each town’s equalized net grand list, population and status as a distressed municipality.
“Westport is relatively affluent and in good financial condition, but a review of some of the other reductions across the state and in our region raises questions as to why Westport’s share appears to be disproportionate,” Loselle said.
For example, neighboring Weston only had a $6,420 cut from $1.28 million in state aid, and Wilton lost $91,186 out of $2.39 million.
“Westport is financially strong, and we are certainly willing to do our fair share,” said First Selectman Jim Marpe. “Nevertheless, I would like to know how this formula is designed and better understand why Westport’s share of the state mandated reductions seems disproportionate.”
Marpe said he has written to OPM Secretary Benjamin Barnes to ask for clarity, copying Westport’s state legislative delegation.
“I am also troubled by the fact that the state is handing these reductions to the municipalities in mid-fiscal year, long after our budgets and mill rates have been developed and set,” Marpe said. “I have urged the state to be more realistic in its budget/revenue projections.
“If cuts are projected to be made, municipalities should be notified much earlier, so that they may budget accordingly,” he added.
These numbers don’t add up at all. If the amount given to begin with is based on a criteria, the cuts should be equal across the board. The criteria should not be used again to skew things further.
So much for getting our tax money back. And now the DOT is looking to possibly replace our bridge.
The new two year budget led by Governor Malloy and the leadership in Hartford is already in trouble. Very rosy economic projections were used by the Governor to set the budget and it will now cause more deficits and probably higher taxes.
The budget was set with flawed expectations and in just a few months the Governor now needs to cut spending, and quickly.
Connecticut
At this point, we need only improve the roads that lead out from ct south. That should save more money.