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| Dear Friend,
This is my State Capitol update for the week of October 25.
If you prefer to watch rather than read, click the image below to hear about the issues contained in this newsletter. |
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We had a productive meeting of the state Bond Commission this week. We approved two projects that will directly benefit towns in the Northwest Corner: a $2 million grant to the Kent Memorial Library (enabling the library to expand into the adjacent abandoned firehouse); and a $2 million grant-in-aid to the Salisbury Housing Committee, to support the Holley Place Affordable Housing Project.
I am one of four legislators who sit on the Bond Commission, which is chaired by Gov. Lamont. (The remaining members are the State Treasurer, State Comptroller, Attorney General, and two state agency chairs.) The Commission is responsible for approving all capital projects that use state resources, including town projects. Because the state can borrow at lower interest rates than the towns can, this is an efficient way to allocate funds.
Only projects that have previously been authorized by the state legislature - via the “Bond Bill,” a piece of legislation that I handle as chair of the House Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee - are eligible to be placed on a Bond Commission agenda. The Governor sets those agendas and decides when the Commission meets. Under Governor Lamont, we have met less frequently than in past administrations, because Governor Lamont has significantly cut back on the amount of bond funding the state uses. While there are certainly many who would like to see that expanded, it is absolutely the case that cutting back on bond funding means less money spent on borrowing costs by the state, which has helped the state’s finances.
The two Northwest Corner projects travelled different paths to their approval yesterday, and they illustrate the different ways the process works.
The Kent Memorial Library grant was supported by the CT State Library, which assists public libraries in Connecticut with the planning and funding of library building construction, remodeling, energy conservation, emergency preparedness, accessibility, and space planning. While the legislature replenishes the funding available to the State Library in the Bond Bill each year, the State Library has its own process for vetting projects and deciding which merit funding.
My role in this project was meeting with Kent Memorial Library leadership, making sure they were connected to the State Library grant program, then checking in periodically with (you could call it “nagging” if you want) the State Library to make sure they were receiving the information they needed, that they had adequate funding available, and asking when this project was going to be on our agenda. The Kent Memorial Library itself did the real work to get to this approval, and I offer them my hearty congratulations. I can’t wait to watch that project break ground.
Most of the bond proceeds that the state allocates (including for transportation and school construction) goes through a similar process, where a state agency vets and prioritizes individual projects. Our agenda this week included many of these projects, including an allocation of $10 million to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for solid waste reduction strategies (composting and recycling, for example), and $40 million for the Department of Housing for its Time-to-Own program for first-time homebuyers (see more detail on that elsewhere in the newsletter). I expect both of these programs to benefit the NW Corner.
The grant to Salisbury Housing Committee travelled a different path. All legislators can identify projects in the communities they represent and request bond funding for them. Those projects are pulled together and the legislative leadership prioritizes them. Each of the four caucuses (House and Senate, Democratic and Republican) review their own requests and decide which are most important to them. Legislative leadership, including the leadership of the Finance Committee, decides which ones to ask the Governor to place on the agenda. It’s a negotiation, but the final decision is always made by the Governor, so we take care to make sure our priority requests meet his general priorities.
My role in this project was to vet the application, put it on my priority list, and advocate for its inclusion on this week’s Bond Commission agenda. Building housing that is affordable in our small communities has specific challenges, including higher costs due to their smaller scale and the cost of land. I’m grateful to the Governor for his commitment to our community, and look forward to the prospect of providing housing to 14 families in Salisbury.
This is already long (thanks for sticking with me), but I also wanted to note that early voting has begun. I want to again thank all our election officials, and everyone working at the polls, for their commitment to making this new process work smoothly in all nine towns in the district. Early voting is playing out a little differently in each town, and kinks on the first day seem to be getting smoothed out.
If you do choose to vote early, please note that the process is a little different than voting on Election Day (11/5). Because your vote won’t be counted until 11/5, it has to be secured in an envelope which you must sign. Please make sure you check with election officials to make sure your vote gets counted. |
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Here’s a list of today’s topics:
- Time to Own Program Reopens. Click here.
- Upcoming Events. Click here.
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Great news for low and moderate-income homebuyers in Connecticut!
This week, the State Bond Commission approved $40 million in state funding that will be used to reopen the popular Time To Own program to a new round of applicants.
Time To Own has helped thousands of people buy their first homes since launching in 2022. The program provides forgivable loans for down payments and closing costs and has enabled individuals and families to achieve the dream of homeownership, fostering long-term financial stability and contributing to stronger communities.
To date, Time To Own has helped more than 4,800 homebuyers in 149 towns buy their first homes, more than half of whom are people of color. With the new funding allocation, Connecticut has invested $195 million in the program.
For more information on eligibility, additional considerations, and how to apply, visit chfa.org/TimeToOwn.
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| Join the team at Sharon Hospital for this family-friendly day that includes a host of interactive health and safety exhibits, along with children’s activities, car seat checks and a touch-a-truck contest. Along with the touch-a-truck activity, Sharon’s Fire Department will be grilling BBQ food for visitors.
Hospital departments will be on hand to provide information on nutrition, emergency care, physical therapy and more. There will be health screenings, free giveaways, as well as fire truck and ambulance tours.
Families can also enjoy a variety of games, a scavenger hunt, seasonal treats, face painting and an ultrasound display. Halloween treat bags created by hospital departments will also be given away. |
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| ICMYI - Northwest Corner Events |
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Ed McGuire Memorial Cannonball Run in Falls Village on November 2
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Falls Village Fire Department we are looking forward to having 100 participants in our annual road race.
There is a 5 km run starting at noon and a 2.5 mile walk starting at 11:30 AM.
Click here to sign up.
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HVA’s Auction for the Environment
The Housatonic Valley Association is hosting their annual Auction for the Environment on Saturday, November 23. Click here to learn more. |
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| It is my honor to represent our district. I look forward to hearing from you about the issues raised in this newsletter, or any other topics you think I should know about. You can email me at maria.horn@cga.ct.gov or call me at (860)-240-8585. Thanks for reading, and I wish you a safe weekend.
Click here to forward to forward this email to a friend. |
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| Sincerely,
Maria Horn
State Representative |
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