Posted on January 18, 2023
As Connecticut heads into the 2023 legislative session, grant funds remain at the top of Mayor Ben Blake’s mind.
“For Milford and most towns, maintaining the grants we get from the state is always important during any legislative session,” said Blake. “A priority for the city is to get the same amount of grants as we did the previous year as a baseline, with the hope we get even more.”
In the most recent city budget, state grants account for about $12 million of the total $238 million, which is about 5 percent, Blake said. But that amount, percentage wise, has fallen over the past decade.
“During the 2010 fiscal year, about $16 million of the city’s total $172 million budget came from the state,” said Blake. “The amount of state contribution is not as robust as it once was. The hope is always to keep it the same or increase.”
State Rep. Frank Smith, D-118th, said he plans to address Milford’s coastal resiliency, among other issues, in the upcoming session.
“As a member of the environmental committee, I plan to address what I believe is a crucial problem in dealing with the imminent effects of climate change and the need for greater coastal resiliency along our vast shoreline,” he said. “The increased frequency, probability and magnitude of such tropical events will impact our beaches and the entire city and public infrastructure.”
This is critical for Milford, Blake said, as the city has projects designed and permitted but still requiring funding to begin the work.
“One of those is a project by Walnut/Wildemere Beach, a project near Crescent Beach, and a couple of other projects for which we need some funding,” he said.
A top priority for State Representative Charles Ferraro, R-117th, is electric rates and energy costs. During the 2023 legislative session, one of his goals is to “reel in these energy costs” and make Connecticut more affordable, he said.
“We must balance our state’s energy goals by ensuring that our solutions produce sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy,” he said. “A House Republican proposal, which I support, would separate the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority from the state DEEP and create independent agencies focused on lowering costs for ratepayers.”
Other priorities for Ferraro include increasing penalties for some violent crimes, including domestic violence, and cutting the state income tax from 5 percent to 4 percent for families earning under $100,000 in taxable income and repealing the implementation of a Highway Use Tax.
Smith said he would work to optimize Milford’s Educational Cost Sharing grant funding from the state.
“(In addition to) petitioning assistance for permanent school upgrade and maintenance and addressing the continuing issue of staff shortages in our schools, I will again introduce and advocate for enhanced K-12 civics education in our state, and a bipartisan task force to review and advise composition and implementation of such a program,” he said.
In addition to education, Blake said the city is also hoping for state funds to complete a series of municipal projects. Blake cited dredging Milford Harbor as a potential use of state grant money. The city already has about $5 million set aside for that project, but the total cost of harbor dredging is estimated at about $7 million.
“So we need a couple more million dollars for that project,” Blake said.
Finally, Blake said, transportation issues in Milford remain a priority.
Smith said he would use his new position as a member of the transportation committee to request state assistance for urgent drainage projects throughout the city and request grants for new road and sidewalk repair construction.
“We will also review and address traffic and pedestrian safety throughout the state and areas of particular local interest,” he said.
