Jay Case

LITCHFIELD — In a joint meeting with the Litchfield Hills Council of Elected Officials and the Northwest Connecticut Council of Governments, State Rep. Jay Case told municipal leaders the upcoming legislative session would be a challenging one, with hopes to improve the state’s fiscal climate.

Rep. Case, R-Winchester, will be entering the 2013 legislative session as a freshman lawmaker, but with the knowledge of a small business owner who knows what it takes to succeed in today’s economy.

“We as a state are up for a challenging session and I believe each and every one of us understands that,” said Rep. Case. “As I stated when I ran, I would be looking into stopping the unfunded mandates and taxing our residents out of their homes. This is not going to happen overnight, although hearing from local chief elected officials was refreshing and frustrating due to all of the red tape the state straps our towns with. The bottom line is that we need to learn to live within our means.”

The Jan. 4 meeting was attended by many state legislators, both in the House and Senate, as part of an annual discussion with town officials in the northwest Connecticut regional planning organizations. Many concerns ranged from municipal financing to prevailing wage.

Rep. Case is a member of the Human Services, Appropriations, and Energy committees and will begin his first two-year term on Jan. 9, when the legislative session begins.