House Republicans host roundtable discussion with municipal leaders amid state budget crisis

More than two dozen leaders—mayors and first selectmen—from communities throughout the state were at the Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 27 for a roundtable discussion organized by House Republicans. Municipal leaders such as Canton First Selectman Richard Barlow gave legislators suggestions about how they could make life easier for their communities in the face of the current state budget crunch.
Rolling back unfunded mandates and suspending mandatory binding arbitration were among the suggestions from the invited group, and local leaders called for even greater communication as the budget crisis continues to unfold.
“This highly successful roundtable forum allowed municipal leaders to express their concerns directly to legislators and begin to close the communications gap between the towns and the state government,” said Rep. Tim LeGeyt (R-Canton).
The roundtable session with local officials started with a status report on the state budget from a representative from the legislature’s non-partisan Office of Fiscal Analysis. The presentation seemed to be well-received by the panel, which was comprised of officials from both sides of the aisle. Most called the non-partisan approach refreshing.
At present, Gov. M. Jodi Rell forecasts a budget deficit of more than $1 billion for this fiscal year. The numbers are even worse for coming years—in the multi-billions, perhaps.