Connecticut officials are projecting that the state will continue to have a significant budget surplus for the next four years.
The most recent Connecticut Fiscal Accountability Report projects a billion-dollar surplus in the general fund and an extra $348 million in the special transportation fund this fiscal year.
The Office of Fiscal Analysis and the governor’s Office of Policy and Management are both projecting that the state will continue to receive more revenue than it spends for the next four years.
"We are not yet seeing any downturn in revenue. If there is going to be a recession, we haven’t seen it yet,” said Jeff Beckham, the state budget director.
Community nonprofits would like some of the surplus.
“Nonprofits took the hit during the lean years when the state was making cuts. It’s now time for the state to start making up for those and help the people who depend on nonprofits for services,” said Gian Carl Casa, the president of the Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance.
Casa’s agencies provide group homes and other social services for the state.
They are one of the many sectors that will lobby for more money as Governor Ned Lamont and state lawmakers decide how to spend the surplus during budget negotiations next year.
