Bob Godfrey

DANBURY DELEGATION LAUDS PASSING OF BIENNIUM BUDGET

No tax hikes, investments in working families, non-profits targeted

HARTFORD – State Representatives Bob Godfrey (110^th District), Ken Gucker (138^th), David Acronti (109^th) and Raghib Allie-Brennan (2^nd) praised passage of a balanced budget that rejected tax hikes, provided more funding for hospitals and local health departments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, expanded workforce training and other supports to get people back to work to help jumpstart the economy and increases in Education Cost Sharing (ECS) funding for Danbury Public Schools in 2022 and '23.

Total Aid for Danbury for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 will be $98,327,287, an increase of more than $5 million for 2022 and over $7 million for 2023.

There will be notable increases in ECS funding as well. In 2022 Danbury schools will see an increase of $2,577,646 from 2021 and in 2023 the total funding will be $42, 853,764, representing a $5,155,291 boost over fiscal year 2021.

Additional Grants to Danbury Organizations include a $75,000 grant for Danbury Youth Services for Judicial Department Youth Services Prevention and a grant for the Danbury Police Athletic League in the amount of $140,000 for the Judicial Department Youth Violence Initiative. The Danbury Women's Employment Program will also receive $25,000 in 2022 and '23.

“Our budget not only deals with the pandemic, but also bolsters our economic recovery," State Representative Godfrey said.  "Working families will see tax cuts through the increase in the earned income tax credit and the elimination of the admissions tax, for example. I’m particularly grateful to my colleagues for substantially increasing funding for Danbury’s public schools: over $5 million over the biennium in Education Cost Sharing (ECS) alone.”

“The Danbury delegation and I worked hard to secure an increase in state funds for our city, " said Rep. Gucker said. "We fought to bring back aid for Danbury and the budget certainly reflects our efforts."

“This biennium budget is a comprehensive package that provides the necessary tools to help our state move forward as we focus on recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic while supporting Connecticut families,” Rep. Arconti said. “I am proud of the work that we put in this session ensuring that our local priorities for Danbury were included in the final document as well as those that our state residents shared with us during this process.”

“Last month I stood publicly in opposition to any tax increases in the state budget,” said Rep. Allie-Brennan. “This responsible approach is a major reason why you elected me. I fought to maintain that commitment by supporting vital programs without raising taxes. This balanced budget keeps Connecticut on firm fiscal ground and continues our recovery efforts from the pandemic while supporting the state’s most vulnerable citizens, the business community, our schools, and efforts to achieve racial, social and economic equity.”