Connecticut
Connecticut Budget Brings Positive News for West Hartford Municipal Aid – We-Ha | West Hartford News
Over the course of the two-year budget, the West Hartford state delegation reports that the state budget will deliver an estimated $7 million more in municipal aid to the town.
By Ronni Newton
Connecticut’s $55.8 billion budget is headed to the desk of Gov. Ned Lamont for signature after being approved by the legislature this week, and included in that budget is additional mutual aid for the Town of West Hartford.
The Senate passed the budget late Tuesday night, in a 25-11 party-line vote with West Hartford state Sen. Derek Slap voting in favor of it. Late Monday, the State House passed the budget, on a mostly-party-line vote, with West Hartford Reps. Jillian Gilchrest, Tammy Exum, Kate Farrar, James Sánchez and Bobby Gibson, all giving their approval to the plan.
“West Hartford has some of the greatest schools and services in Connecticut, and the new state budget will help ensure that they can be maintained without breaking the bank,” said the delegation in a joint statement. “We regularly hear from residents that they love living in West Hartford, but they’re concerned about affordability. We get it. West Hartford is now set to receive one of the largest increases to special education funding among all the municipalities in the state. The additional investments help students, educators, and of course taxpayers.”
Included in the state’s biennial budget is an overall $40 million per year boost to the fund that reimburses municipalities for excess costs related to special education, with West Hartford expected to receive a share of roughly $1.5 million each year from the state. While the governor’s original budget proposal included greater funding for excess cost reimbursement in FY27, it had kept funding flat for FY26.
The shortfall in excess cost reimbursement from the state has been an issue under discussion between legislators and the governor, and in February the West Hartford delegation pushed for a statewide injection of $40 million into the fund in the current fiscal year to address a significant shortfall that arose due to rising costs, that would have left the town with a large revenue deficit to fill.
The delegation continued to lobby for that extra $40 million to also be provided in FY26, and by the time the West Hartford Town Council adopted its FY26 budget in April, Town Manager Rick Ledwith felt fairly certain it would come through. Ledwith said at the time that if the state did not increase the excess cost reimbursement funding, he would have to return to the Town Council and look to have the town and school district each cut roughly $700,000 from their budgets.
“We’re happy with the excess cost reimbursement money,” Ledwith told We-Ha.com on Wednesday.
In addition to securing the excess cost reimbursement funding, the state is creating a new Special Education and Expansion Development (SEED) Grant of $30 million, and West Hartford is slated to receive an additional $314,782 in each FY26 and FY27 as its share of that fund, which is intended to promote the development of programming to serve special education students closer to home.
Those funds were not anticipated in the town’s adopted budget.
“I want to thank our delegation for their hard work and advocacy throughout the budget process,” Mayor Shari Cantor said in a statement. “The aid provided to West Hartford will serve our residents well, supporting vital services and helping us invest in the future of our community. I am especially grateful for the state’s commitment to special education funding. These resources will go a long way in supporting our students, families, and teachers, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to succeed.”
The delegation praised their partnership with town leaders. “We are grateful for the leadership of Mayor Cantor, the entire town council, and the board of education,” said the statement from the West Hartford delegation. “Their partnership is critical as we coordinate priorities and deliver much-deserved resources to our special town.”
According to the state delegation, the West Hartford will receive:
- $25,567,128 in Education Cost Sharing (ECS), a 1.92% increase from the previous budget
- $6,691,291 each year in motor vehicle reimbursement rates, an increase of 13.91%. In 2022 legislators passed a cap on the amount that a municipality can levy a motor vehicle tax, and the state provides a reimbursement for a portion of that lost revenue.
- $921,373 in each year for Town Aid Road (TAR), a 33.33% increase from the previous budget
- $805,784 in Municipal Grants-in-Aid, no change from the previous budget
- $677,699 in Local Capital Improvements (LoCIP), no change from the previous budget
- An additional $400,000 each year from the Supplemental Revenue Sharing Grant
- $155,785 in Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) in each year of the budget
- $27,820 in each year from the Mashantucket Pequot & Mohegan Fund Grant, no change from the previous budget
Other provisions in the budget, according to the delegation, include “investment in early childhood education, targeted tax relief and more while remaining under the spending cap and projects state surpluses.” Those provisions include:
- A $250 tax refund for lower-income working families Earned Income Tax Credit program, which will benefit as many as 195,000 households
- Up to $300 million into a newly created fund for birth to five early childhood education to create additional slots, cap costs for families and pay educators more
- Projected state surpluses and continued investment in the state’s Rainy Day Fund
- Investing $76 million in nonprofits in the second year of the budget to support worker wages
- Tax credits supporting refundable personal income tax credits for home daycare owners
- Fully funding Medicaid, with more than $400 million in increased funding to support the program 900,000 Connecticut residents rely on
- Investing $7 million in Connecticut Foodshare, helping feed hungry Connecticut families
- Investing $3 million in heating assistance as federal programs may see funding reductions
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HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Five Connecticut towns will collectively receive $10 million in grants for infrastructure upgrades, according to a Monday announcement by Gov. Ned Lamont.
The Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH) is awarding $10.7 million to Coventry, Guilford, Ledyard, Mansfield and Thomaston to modernize and rehabilitate housing for low- and moderate-income residents, the announcement said.
The funds are being released through the DOH’s Community Development Block Grant’s small cities program, with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. To be eligible, a municipality must have fewer than 50,000 residents.
Cost Breakdown
Coventry: $2 million
Town of Coventry plans to use funds to upgrade, with a focus on making Orchard Hill Estates compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Guilford: $2 million
The Town of Guilford plans to use funds to design and build future affordable housing projects, consisting of up to 16 rental units and 8 homes.
Ledyard: $2 million
The Town of Canton requested funding for the first phase of affordable housing for people in Ledyard and the surrounding area. Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut is in the pre-development phase of the Colby Drive and plans to create 38 units.
Mansfield: $2.2 million
Funding will be used for upgrades to Wright’s Village, including roof replacements and sidewalk repairs.
Thomaston: $2.5 million
Funds will be used to make Green Manor ADA-compliant, including the installation of a new emergency call aid system.
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Connecticut
Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027
Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!
A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.
German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.
German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.
German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.54
- 100 Freestyle: 51.35
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
- 500 Freestyle: 4:53.19
A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.
German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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