To fix a budget broken by a failed deal with state employee unions, Gov. Dannel Malloy on Tuesday proposed laying off 5,500 workers and reducing municipal aid by $109 million over two years.
The Connecticut General Assembly passed and Malloy signed the state’s two-year budget in May, but that agreement was contingent on the state employee unions approving $1.6 billion in concessions. The union employees voted against those concessions last week.
The General Assembly is convening in a special session on Thursday to pass a new budget. On Tuesday, Malloy outlined his plans to make up the difference for the lack of union concessions.
Malloy’s proposal calls for a $54.4 million reduction in municipal aid for fiscal year 2011 and a $54.5 million reduction in municipal aid for fiscal year 2012.
The rest of Malloy’s proposal calls for 5,466 layoffs of state employees and the elimination of another 1,000 vacant positions. Overall, 14 percent of the Connecticut state government workforce would be eliminated.
The reductions are across the board and include:
- 450 positions in the Judicial Branch, a 9.6 percent reduction
- 5 positions in the Governor’s and Lt. Governor’s offices, a 16.0 percent reduction
- 85 positions at the Department of Revenue Services, an 11.6 percent reduction
- 29 positions at the Office of Policy and Management, a 19.6 percent reduction
- 20 positions at the Office of the Attorney General, a 6.9 percent reduction
- 48 positions at the Department of Consumer Protection, a 22.3 percent reduction
- 136 positions at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, a 16.0 percent reduction
- 540 positions at the Department of Developmental Services, a 14.9 percent reduction
- 486 positions at the Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services, a 13.6 percent reduction
- 817 positions at the Department of Transportation, a 24.8 percent reduction
- 239 positions at the Department of Social Services, a 13.2 percent reduction
- 201 positions at the Department of Education, an 11.8 percent reduction
- 403 positions at the Board of Regents for Higher Education, a 9.0 percent reduction
- 333 positions at the University of Connecticut, an 11.5 percent reduction
- 165 positions at the University of Connecticut Health Center, a 10.1 percent reduction
- 1,019 positions at the Department of Correction, a 15.7 percent reduction
- 359 positions at the Department of Children and Families, a 10.7 percent reduction
