The Connecticut General Assembly adopted a bipartisan plan on March 29th to address a $220 million shortfall in the state budget for the fiscal year that ends June 30th.

Rep. Tercyak

Rep. Peter Tercyak (D-New Britain), the dean of the city’s Democratic legislative delegation, expressed support for the agreement that restores funding to hospitals and balances the state budget without cutting municipal aid to New Britain.

Tercyak’s Statement:

“By working across party lines, we managed to cut $220 million in spending while still protecting taxpayers, hospitals and service providers – a vital part of our economy and the town of New Britain. As always, we function best when are able to work together across party lines and this agreement shows it. The agreement puts the budget back in balance and does so without cuts in aid to New Britain. It protects a historic commitment to property tax relief – including the car tax cap and additional town aid.

Lawmakers’ deficit mitigation plan avoided severe, across-the-board cuts to hospitals and the state’s human and social services programs that had previously been proposed by Governor Malloy.

“The families and taxpayers of Connecticut expected Democrats and Republicans to work together to fix the budget and, unlike Washington, we did. Though this is an important first step, the real test will be for my colleagues from both parties to continue to work together on the larger challenge just around the corner in the 2017 budget.”

The New Britain delegation whose efforts have led to steady increases in school and local aid for New Britain over the last five years  (more than $100 million in the last fiscal cycle) are working to ensure New Britain will receive a fair share of municipal aid as the Legislature addresses anticipated larger deficits for the fiscal year that begins on July 1st.