State Budget Impasse

Stalls FFH Authority

By Jan Howard

The state budget remains in limbo this week as it has since the current budget year ended on June 30, resulting in a special session of the legislature. As a result of the impasse on the budget, the fate of a Special Act Creating a Fairfield Hills Authority is also in limbo.

State Sen John McKinney (R-28th) and State Rep Julia Wasserman (R-106th) hope to attach the special act to a budget implementer bill, but first there has to be a budget.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said this week that the legislators did run the idea past legislative leaders and there were no objections to it. Sen McKinney said recently that approval by the state’s legislative leadership is required to add the special act to a budget implementer bill.

“I’m not aware of any problem,” Mr Rosenthal said.

He said, however, that because the Fairfield Hills Authority would not go into effect until the Fairfield Hills property is transferred from the state to the town, there is no hurry regarding action on the special act.

“Whether it’s now or three weeks from now makes no difference,” he said.

State and town officials met in June to redraft language in the special act to make sure it complies with language approved by the Board of Selectmen and Legislative Council.

The special act originally was attached to Substitute Senate Bill 1004, which passed the Senate but was not forwarded to the House of Representatives.