$11 Million In State Funding–

Political Sniping Over

NHS Expansion Money

By Eliza Hallabeck

In response to concerns that $11 million in state funding for the Newtown High School expansion may be delayed, or possibly not delivered as promised, Newtown’s state representatives expressed mixed reactions. All three of the representatives, however, agree to continue to monitor the situation.

Last week Senate Minority Leader John McKinney (R-Fairfield) confirmed that a cut in the approved state budget would save the State of Connecticut $7.8 million in debt service payments on previously approved and scheduled school construction projects from across the state.

The Newtown High School Expansion was approved by voters in May for $38.8 million. A halt on funding from the state over the next year would affect $11 million for the project.

“There are different perspectives being offered from our state representatives, but if you have any connections with state figures it wouldn’t hurt to ask them where they stand now,” said Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson at the Board of Education’s meeting on Tuesday, September 15.

School board member David Nanavaty said he had just received an email from Democratic State Representative Christopher Lyddy detailing an upcoming meeting and expectations for the high school funding to arrive as planned.

If the $11 million is not received as a progress payment for the project, Newtown’s Director of Finance Bob Tait said the town would use short-term borrowing to cover expenses needed to continue construction until the earmarked money is released by the state, projected for July 2010. That short-term bonding would not be retired until the state money is received, and the anticipated interest is approximately $100,000, which would not be reimbursed by the state.

In a press release this week Rep Lyddy said he was disappointed with Senator McKinney for putting partisan politics ahead of facts.

“We have just drafted a bill that will ensure that the high school construction project will go forward as planned,” said Rep Lyddy. “We are scheduled to vote on this bill next week during special session and it is expected to easily pass.”

In a joint release from Senator McKinney and State Representative DebraLee Hovey, September 16, both said the state’s 702-page bill was given to legislators “hours before the Democratic Majority in Hartford voted overwhelmingly to pass it.”

“The public is now finding out that the budget has imperiled state funding for Newtown High School’s expansion by canceling $7.8 million in school construction debt service payments,” both Rep. Hovey and Sen. McKinney said in the release. “Unless something changes, Newtown and other municipalities could face a moratorium on payments from the state for projects already in progress, like Newtown High. Should that funding be canceled, the shortfall will be transferred to Newtown’s taxpayers — exactly what state funding was intended to avoid.”

Later both Rep. Hovey and Sen. McKinney continued, “The Legislature can fix this problem when it meets in special session later this month, but it never should have happened in the first place. Most Americans would not sign a contract without reading it, nor would they take the word of someone else when considering a major financial transaction. Yet that is exactly what the Democrats did in voting for a budget they had not read, and it is exactly why we voted against the budget.”

“This was a difficult year and we had to make many tough choices,” Rep. Lyddy said in a release on Tuesday, September 15. “I am very proud that we adopted a fair budget with roughly $3 billion in cuts. This is a significant amount of money and people are going to hurt because of it. To continue to hear rhetoric from the other side of the aisle that the Democrats were unwilling to make cuts is disappointing and inaccurate.”

In their joint press release Rep. Hovey and Sen. McKinney said a $37 billion budget should require serious debate and public scrutiny.

“We, along with our Republican colleagues, will continue to pressure the majority to rectify this problem,” the Republicans’ release said. “Let us hope that, unlike during the budget debate, the Democrats give adequate consideration to the consequences of their actions this time around.”

Earlier in the week Rep. Lyddy said he has been following the NHS expansion project closely.

“It is unfortunate that school funding has become yet another victim of politics,” Rep. Lyddy said. “The compromise budget that became law on Tuesday does not contain any language about a moratorium on school construction.”