Governor Dannel Malloy has issued a new budget proposal as legislators continue to negotiate their own compromise document.
Connecticut is the only state in the nation that has yet to adopt a new two-year budget, and it's more than three months into the fiscal year.
Malloy described the budget as "bare-bones," compared to a previous Democratic proposal.
"This new budget eliminates numerous tax increases such as cell phone surcharges, second home tax and ride-sharing fees," Malloy said. "It cuts spending by an additional $144 million over the biennium. With respect to municipal aid, this proposal includes an update of ECS formula that maintains focus on school districts most in need of assistance."
But the proposal was immediately criticized by the Council for Small Towns for continuing to shift teacher pension costs to municipalities.
Whose $ is it - the taxpayers. It's unfair to cut aid and saddle property taxpayers with teachers' pension costs. https://t.co/UqtyearPYQ
— COST (@CT_COST) October 11, 2017
Republicans said the proposal could not pass the legislature because of what they describe as devastating cuts to services.
Lawmakers on both sides have said they'll review Malloy's revised budget.
This report includes information from the Associated Press.
