State Budget

In addition, Gov.-elect Malloy has a responsibility to taxpayers to negotiate further concessions from state employees to take effect July 1, when the current State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition agreement expires. State employees did offer a concession package of $700 million under the 2009 agreement; however, our worsening economic and financial picture requires all stakeholders to do more.
Unlike the state's private sector, which lost 100,000 jobs during the recession, the public sector avoided layoffs by granting concessions. Still, state employee wages and benefits account for nearly 25 percent of total government spending (more than $4.5 billion annually), and further concessions must be part of any responsible proposal to eliminate our deficit. It is my hope that Gov.-elect Malloy will seek reasonable concessions from state employees that will make their benefits and wages more consistent with the private sector.

The combined operating budgets of the University of Connecticut, Connecticut State University System, the dozen community colleges and the online Charter Oak State College is almost $2 billion, of which $652.2 million is paid for from the state's general fund in block grants.
"It's going to be difficult. We're going to have to wait and see how the numbers come back," said Richard Balducci, vice chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Connecticut State University System, unable to guarantee the freeze would remain in effect. The university system absorbed about a $13 million cut in state funding last year, and Malloy's proposal would trim another $17.6 million in the coming year.
Meanwhile, in-state tuition and fees increased by 239 percent at the community colleges, 284 percent at UConn and nearly 353 percent at CSUS.