Another Tuesday thought...
Prior to attending the legislature's Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee meeting in Hartford yesterday, I poked my head into an Appropriations Committee meeting where Bob Genuario, Gov. M. Jodi Rell's budget director and head of OPM, was briefing the committee on next year's budget deliberations.
Essentially what Genuario was trying to convey to lawmakers is that next year is going to be a tough budget year in terms of spending because the budget cap doesn't have a lot of leeway to it. Basically, the budget is currently running about $450 million under the cap. But when you add in contractual obligations and other fixed costs the state has to deal with next year, that figure plummets to the $50 million range.
That's all the state has to play with - $50 million in new spending. There's not a lot you can do to help 169 towns when you only have $50 million to spread around.
Essentially what Genuario was trying to convey to lawmakers is that next year is going to be a tough budget year in terms of spending because the budget cap doesn't have a lot of leeway to it. Basically, the budget is currently running about $450 million under the cap. But when you add in contractual obligations and other fixed costs the state has to deal with next year, that figure plummets to the $50 million range.
That's all the state has to play with - $50 million in new spending. There's not a lot you can do to help 169 towns when you only have $50 million to spread around.
posted by Ray Hackett at 9:52 AM
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