The state budget, much like Norwalk’s municipal budget, has a big chunk devoted to educational spending. Governor Rell wanted to make that educational chunk even bigger this year, and throughout the legislative session, it was the talk of the 169 towns. The allocations of state educational aide, however, for years benefited upstate towns while ignoring Fairfield County’s needs, culminating in the routine calls for ECS funding reform. This was not the year that ECS reform was going to happen for a variety of reasons, and it looked like once again that cities like Norwalk were going to get bacon bits, under the Democratic budget plans.
Fortunately, Chris Perone-D, saw the way to increase Norwalk’s funding. A few weeks before the session ended, Perone worked behind the scenes to get Democratic leadership to see Norwalk as it really is, a diverse city struggling to balance the affordability of living in Norwalk against the growing costs of maintaining schools and infrastructure. Step one was getting Chris Donovan_D Meriden to tour a school and get a firsthand look at what Norwalk’s schools looked like. Perone tapped state rep Bruce Morris-D to advocate on behalf of Norwalk’s schools from the inside perspective.
But if needs alone urged legislators to fund adequately, Norwalk would never have been underfunded all these years. Persuasion and good old fashioned politicking was needed. And so it was that Perone and Speaker Jim Amann has a lengthy conversation of what it would take for Perone to support the overall budget put forward by the Democratic leadership. For Perone, it wasn’t enough that Norwalk received more funding this year. He was aiming higher, and for a structural change that would be more permanent. So Perone targeted priority grant funding, and worked to get Norwalk moved up into a higher tier of educational grant funding. For the first time, Norwalk would be ranked with Danbury, Waterbury and New Britain when it comes to determining grant eligibility.
With a couple of weeks to go, Perone had his deal agreed to by the speaker. But then the budget negotiations fell apart, and Perone realized that at any point the deal for Norwalk could disappear, a line item crossed off in tough negotiations to hammer out a final budget. It was up to Perone to keep tabs on the negotiations and the deal from within the Democratic negotiators and up to State Budget Director Bob Genuario and Minority Leader Larry Cafero to keep the deal alive on the Republican side..
“I’ve been saying for three years now,” Perone said, “Norwalk has a functional legislative delegation, when the chips are down we all pull together to make things happen for Norwalk.”
And the team effort went beyond just the Norwalk delegation acknowledged Perone. Other legislators from Fairfield County ran campaigns based on changing the ECS funding. There was much jockeying for individual towns and other deals on the one hand compete with and on the other work with since everyone was in the same boat. “The ECS formula has to be changed†Perone said.
“It’s nice that we have two minority leaders down here, who get it,” he continued, “And we need the same type of organization to get leadership to change [ECS] like we had on changing the income tax level.”
Perone singled out State Rep Jim Shapiro-D as one of those legislators that gets that permanent structural change is the important goal. Having succeeded in increasing Norwalk’s funding thus far, they still have to vote on the budget tonight, Perone realizes that his work is still not finished. “We need to keep the fires burning through the off season,” he explained, “and keep working on changing the mindset here in Hartford about ECS funding.”
The overall state budget calls for increasing ECS grants by $181 million in 2007-08, and $261 million by 2008-09. In addition, $215 million over the next two years will be spent boosting state reimbursements to doctors, dentists, hospitals, community health clinics, and other care providers who treat poor patients on state assistance.
Perone indicated that the bonding issues will not likely be voted on tonight and that another special session may be called later for a vote.
