CCM Legislative Update

1. CCM Legislative Update

2. CCM is Connecticut's statewide association of towns and cities. CCM is an inclusionary organization that celebrates the commonalities between, and champions the interests of, urban, suburban and rural communities.

3. CCM represents municipalities at the General Assembly, before the state executive branch and regulatory agencies, and in the courts. • CCM provides member towns and cities with a wide array of other services, including: management assistance, • individualized inquiry service, • assistance in municipal labor relations, • technical assistance and training, • policy development, • publications, • information programs, and • service programs such as workers' compensation, liability-automobile property insurance, risk management, and energy cost-containment.

4. CCM Public Policy & Advocacy • 21 WEEKS. • 148 DAYS. • 3,552 HOURS. • 213,120 MINUTES. • That’s how long the Connecticut General Assembly was in session in 2013. • CCM’S TEAM OF EXPERIENCED LOBBYISTS: Influence, not just monitor.

9. PA 13-239 State Bond Package Among other things, bonds: • $20 million for STEAP each fiscal year; • $30 million for LoCIP each fiscal year; • $50 million for Urban Action Program each fiscal year; and • $60 million for TAR each fiscal year. 

10. 2013 Legislative Review Public Act 13-247 - the 498 page state budget “implementer bill” – among other things: • Transfers funds from the Regional Performance Incentive Grant to the Municipal Reimbursement and Revenue Account (MRRA): $2,820,000 in FY 14, $2,070,000 in FY 15, and $1,870,000 in FY 16. 

11. Uniform Chart of Accounts (UCOA) • Requires OPM, in consultation with CCM and COST, to develop a uniform chart of accounts for use by municipalities and the State. Requires towns and cities to implement the process by June 30, 2015 and file reports to OPM using it.  • Implementation challenges: unfunded state mandate?

12. Car Tax • The phase-out of the car tax proposal was defeated.  • The proposal would have implemented a statewide mill rate for property taxes on motor vehicles at 80 mills starting in July 2014, then would have dropped the statewide mill rate 8 mills each year, until the local property tax on motor vehicles was eliminated. 

13. Tax Incidence Study • Requires the DRS to submit (by December 31, 2014), and post on the DRS website, a report on the overall incidence of the income tax, sales and excise taxes, the corporation business tax, and the local property tax.

14. MRRA • Municipal Reimbursement Revenue Account (MRRA) • A separate, non-lapsing General Fund account, to be used by OPM, for the purposes of funding: • the Nutmeg Network, • a tax incidence study, and • the uniform chart of accounts system.  

15. Board of Education Functions • School Calendar: • Establishes a task force to develop guidelines for developing uniform regional calendars; • Requires each Regional Education Service Center (RESC) to develop a regional school calendar for each board of education within its service area; and • Allows boards of education to adopt the RESC designed model calendar for 2014-15 school year, and requires them to do so beginning with the 2015-16 school year.

16. Board of Education Functions • Exempts from the gross earnings tax, propane gas used for school bus fuel. • Creates a task force to study the creation of a statewide health insurance pool for school bus drivers.

17. PA 13-60: Financial Efficiencies • Encourages municipalities and boards of education to consider ways in which to realize financial efficiencies and promote transparency in school budgets.  • Requires local boards of finance or board of selectmen to make spending recommendations and suggestions to boards of education regarding how such boards of education may consolidate non-educational services and realize financial efficiencies.

18. PA 13-256: Roof Pitch • Among other things, aligns the roof pitch requirements for school buildings with that of the state building code by changing the minimum roof pitch required on school roofs (for eligibility for state reimbursement), from ½ inch per foot, to ¼ inch per foot.

19. 2014 Municipal Priorities • Do No Harm: • Fund critical state aid to towns and cities at statutorily-set levels. • Postpone any recommendation that would alter Connecticut’s state-local tax structure (motor vehicle or otherwise). • Full funding the last quarter payments of the Municipal Revenue Sharing Account (MRSA) earmarked for towns and cities.

20. 2014 Municipal Priorities • How to Spell Relief? • Allow towns and cities the option to legally post public notices online. • Adjust the statutorily set MERS employee contribution rates by 1% annually over the next three years. • Adjust the state mandated thresholds that trigger the State’s prevailing wage law.

21. 2014 Municipal Priorities • Protect the “Core”: • Correct state underfunding of regular education programs by, among other things, increasing the ECS foundation level; and correcting state underfunding of special education programs. • Increase planning and technical assistance capacity at OPM to assist RPOs and municipalities in collaborative efforts.

22. CCM Nutmeg Network Initiative The CCM-DBO Partnership will provide the following services to all CCM members at no charge: RPIP Grant Application Assistance (application deadline 12-31-13) • Evaluating municipal needs and formulating a site location map, project schedule and cost analysis needed to complete the Regional Performance Incentive (RPIP) Program Grant Application process.

23. Expense Audit: • CCM Nutmeg Network Initiative will review your existing budgets for obsolete or avoidable expense items: • Telephone lines or cable connections for internet services • Unnecessary copier expenses/leases • Long distance charges, cell phone internet usage, fax lines and equipment. • Removing unnecessary expenditures may offset the cost of upgrading your network infrastructure to take full advantage of the Nutmeg Network. • Fee for Services: • Tailored Project Management from A-Z at SPECIAL RATES FOR ALL CCM MEMBERS: • Take on turn-key responsibility for connecting all sites to a hub location determined by the town and preparing the hub location for connection to the Nutmeg Network. • Communicate project timelines and progress. • Integrate dedicated or shared services as needed.

24. Project Design Assistance: • Identifying all physical sites to be connected to the network including town-owned towers or public works facilities, if required -- reviewing existing facilities for possible connection points and potential cost savings. • Determining the desired service level and identifying additional services (such as): • Offsite Back-up • Disaster Recovery • Hosted E-mail • Co-located Services • VOIP • Network Help Desk Contact Gina Calabro of CCM to make an appointment and get started today - (203) 498-3041

25. Permission To Say NO • PA 13-273: Requires school districts to excuse students from participating in, or observing, the dissection of animals in the classroom, providing such students' parents or guardians request in writing that students be excused from such activity. • If it’s okay for students and frogs, then it should be okay for the General Assembly and Governor to say no to any proposed cuts in municipal aid and new state mandates.

26. Questions? Bob Labanara, State Relations Manager, CCM rlabanara@ccm-ct.org (203) 498-3023 Web Site: www.ccm-ct.org 900 Chapel Street, 9th Floor New Haven, Connecticut 06510-2807 Telephone (203) 498-3000 Fax (203) 562-6314 CCM was founded in 1966 and is CCM is governed by a Board of Directors, elected by the member municipalities, with due consideration given to geographical representation, municipalities of different sizes, and a balance of political parties. Numerous committees of municipal officials participate in the development of CCM policy and programs. CCM has offices in New Haven (the headquarters) and in Hartford. CCM: THE VOICE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT