Two weeks into the fiscal year, municipalities are feeling the financial stress of not knowing how much aid they’ll get from the state.
The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities sent out a survey to cities and towns to see how the state budget impasse is affecting them.
Nearly half of the 61 communities surveyed have imposed some type of spending freeze.
Some towns have started to cut back on municipal services including cutting police overtime, eliminating summer youth programs, and holding construction projects.
Kevin Maloney, with CCM, says, “Municipal budgets are increasing by over three percent which is over twice the rate of inflation. And if the state budget impasse gets resolved and state aid gets significantly cut, you may see even larger tax hikes come down in the middle of this year which would be unprecedented.”
CCM says they don’t support any of the budget proposals – from Governor Dannel Malloy, Democrats or Republicans – in their current form.
Governor Malloy has taken control of state spending under his limited executive authority until a budget is passed.