Republican state legislative leaders announced proposals Wednesday aimed at relieving municipalities of expenses mandated by state legislation, and in doing so stepped up criticism of the Democrats’ recent appointment of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Municipal Opportunities and Regional Efficiencies.
The GOP minority leaders in the Senate and House — Sen. John McKinney of Fairfield and Rep. Lawrence Cafero of Norwalk — said that the MORE commission is too partisan because it’s made up of 45 Democratic lawmakers and no Republicans. They also called it a waste of time.
“Municipal mandate relief has been studied for years, and the last thing we need is another taxpayer-funded, blue-ribbon commission to restate the obvious,” McKinney said. “Cities and towns want state government to fund public education, help pave local roads” and honor agreements for “payments in lieu of taxes.”
He said that local administrators want “state government to get off their backs and allow them to make the policy decisions that best suit their individual circumstances. They need mandate relief now.”
The Republicans’ legislative proposals include a two-year moratorium on “new unfunded municipal mandates,” and a change in legislative rules to require a two-thirds vote for such mandates.
They also want a two-year postponement of recently legislated initiatives that they say will cost towns too much, such as the “Raise the Age” program under which 16- and 17-year-olds would be treated as juveniles in law enforcement.
“The solution to the fiscal problems facing our towns and cities is not more empty rhetoric and inaction from Hartford politicians. It is leadership and action,” Cafero said. “We have heard from our local officials and they clearly need and deserve relief from the costly mandates weighing on their local budgets in this time of fiscal distress.”
Republicans issued a statement saying that at a meeting Tuesday, municipal officials from around the state had “expressed frustration about the procrastination and partisanship that has characterized the Democrat-led legislature’s failure to close the state budget deficit and provide relief to municipalities struggling to maintain local services.”
House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden, said: “We are excited about the work of the MORE commission. Its work is far more extensive than mandate relief alone, and [it] is looking at efficiencies at all levels of government. We’ll take the recommendations of the Republicans, but we also want to hear from municipal leaders and others as the commission is currently doing.”
Senate Democrats’ spokesman, Derek Slap, said: “In the past few weeks, Democrats have put forward ideas to grow jobs, give tax relief to small businesses, and help reduce the cost of government. We hope the GOP will step up to the plate as well, and heed the governor’s call for a more civil and substantive discussion on how to help families in this challenging time.”