February 4, 2013

O’Dea Touts State Mandate Relief Proposal

This article was archived from the previous WordPress site. Formatting and media should be close, but may not match the original post perfectly.

With the crushing weight of state mandates ravaging local budgets, State Rep. Tom O’Dea (R-125) is asking for a more deliberate process in order for the state to realize the true impact on Connecticut towns.

The legislature’s Planning and Development Committee on February 1st heard testimony on H.B. 5528, An Act Requiring a Two-Thirds Vote to Enact Municipal Mandates. Rep. O’Dea along with New Canaan First Selectman Rob Mallozzi testified in favor of the mandate proposal.

An unfunded mandate is a law that imposes an operational requirement on a municipality but fails to provide the funding to cover the resulting costs to the local community.

“As a former Town Councilor in New Canaan, I am all too aware of the heavy hand state government uses in requiring local municipalities to implement programs without any funding. This forces towns like New Canaan and Wilton to cut services or raise property taxes to comply with state mandate,” said Rep. O’Dea.

Unfunded mandates, O’Dea said, have wreaked havoc on the budgets of cities and towns for years. The bill discussed Monday calls for a task force to identify mandates and their impact.

The proposal would require a two-thirds vote in both houses of the General Assembly for the passage of any unfunded state mandate. The adoption of this bill would encourage the General Assembly to take a harder look at the fiscal impact of state mandates on local governments. A two-thirds vote would require overwhelming support of the General Assembly and ensure that these mandates are sufficiently scrutinized and that only the most necessary state mandates are imposed on local governments.

“It is vital that during these tough economic times the legislature does everything it can to help local governments tackle their own fiscal problems. Local governments are being forced to cut services, increase revenue and find ways to make ends meet. The legislature needs to do everything in its power to help local governments continue to provide their important services to our constituents,” said Rep. Thomas O’Dea.

Reps. O’Dea, Marra to Host Legislative Forum in Darien

HARTFORD – State Representatives Tracy Marra (R-141) and Deputy Republican Leader Tom O’Dea (R-125) are hosting residents from their districts for a legislative forum at the Darien Town Hall Room 119 on Tuesday, January 14th from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Residents of the 141st and 125th districts looking for information about the 2025-2027 legislative session, or with questions about state government, are encouraged […]

January 3, 2025

Rep. Tom O’Dea Announces Funding for Local Infrastructure Upgrades in Stamford

State Local Bridge Project allocation includes two projects in Stamford STAMFORD – On Thursday, State Representative Tom O’Dea announced a new allocation of state funding from the CT Dept. of Transportation (CTDOT) to improve locally-owned bridges across Connecticut. The $15.8 million funding injection through the State Local Bridge Project will benefit 18 projects in Connecticut, […]

July 12, 2024