In a June 21 letter to members of the General Assembly, Gov. Dannel Malloy said he is developing a plan for managing the state government to maintain essential services and satisfy obligations should a budget not be adopted by June 30.
The General Assembly completed this year’s legislative session earlier this month without passing a two-year budget plan, in the face of a combined $5 billion deficit over that time span.
Malloy said that while the plan is not his preferred method for operating the state, the action is necessary to ensure that the government functions smoothly.
The plan will be based on five principles:
- Not increasing the projected deficit;
- Allocating funds first for essential health, safety, and human services;
- Considering the impact on cities and towns;
- Complying with any and all court orders or mandates; and
- Honoring tentative state employee union agreements.
A detailed plan based on those principles will be finalized and released publicly before June 30, the governor said.
“I am committed to ensuring that the state is managed responsibly and in such a way that we do not exacerbate our existing fiscal challenges,” Malloy declared. “It is my sincere hope that we can and will pass a budget before the end of the fiscal year. At the same time, I felt it was prudent to share how I will approach our budget should we fail to achieve our common goal.”
