Here's How Much Less Suffield Will Receive From the State

It isn’t usual when towns are getting less money, or in some rare cases more money, than they’ve gotten the previous year for leaders to be thankful. But considering what could have been, the budget passed by the House and Senate is much better news for Suffield, as well as some other towns in Hartford County.

The $41.34 billion, two-year budget passed by a 126-23 vote in the House and a 33-3 vote in the Senate this week means the following:

• Suffield will receive $538,000 less this fiscal year; it will receive $730,000 less next fiscal year;
• Avon will be receiving $85,000 less in state funding this fiscal year than it did last; it will receive $183,000 less in 2019;
• Berlin will be receiving $412,000 less this year than it did last year; next year it will get $557,000 less than this year;
• Canton will be receiving $195,000 less in state funding this current fiscal year than it did in the 2017 fiscal year. For the next fiscal year, 2019, Canton will be receiving $156,000 less in state funding than it does this year;
• East Granby will receive $115,000 less this fiscal year; next year it will receive $66,000 less than it receives this year;
• East Windsor will receive the same this year; $318,000 more next fiscal year;
• Enfield will receive $1.34 million less this fiscal year; $900,000 less next fiscal year;
• Farmington will be receiving $277,000 less in state funding this current fiscal year than it did in the 2017 fiscal year. For the next fiscal year, 2019, Farmington will be receiving $627,000 less in state funding than it does this year;
• Granby will receive $303,000 less this fiscal year than it did last; in 2019 it will receive $212,000 less than it received last year;
• Hartford will receive the same this year; $250,000 less next fiscal year;
• Newington will be getting $875,000 less in state funding this current fiscal year than it did in the 2017 fiscal year. For the next fiscal year, 2019, Newington will be getting $676,000 less in state funding than it does this year;
• Simsbury will receive $356,000 less this fiscal year than last; next fiscal year (2019) Simsbury will receive $337,000 less the 2017 fiscal allotment;
• Windsor will receive the same this year; $76,000 less next fiscal year;
• Windsor Locks will receive the same funding this fiscal year; $33,000 less next fiscal year.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s budget planned to take much more away from the towns – in some cases in the millions of dollars – in an effort to divert education funding to the poorer, bigger cities in the state.

The good news for the towns is the House and Senate votes passed by a substantial margin – meaning they are veto proof, as Malloy has said he will likely veto the budget if it doesn’t meet his goals.

Written by Jack Kramer (Patch Correspondent)
Photo credit: Tim Jensen