State Legislators Secure $10 Million More in Aid For New Britain; $4 for More Aid for City Budget

New Britain’s state legislators have announced they have secured $4 million for the city budget in a one-time allocation of federal ARPA funds, as a part of a $10.1 million overall increase in aid to the city.

State Senator Rick Lopes (D-6), Rep. Peter Tercyak (D-26), Rep. Manny Sanchez (D-24), Rep. Gary Turco (D-27) and Rep. Bobby Sanchez (D-25) announced that they, “worked with leadership to secure a one-time allocation of ARPA funds,” in the amount of $4 million to, “help cover a shortfall in the city’s budget.”

Sen. Lopes said that, “We worked hard to secure an additional $4 million in municipal aid, to protect New Britain residents from tax increases created by mistakes in last year’s city budget.”

“All told,” the legislators said, “New Britain will receive $10.1 million more in town aid for fiscal year 2025, than it did in 2024.”

“Hopefully this one-time additional allocation will prevent the city from passing more tax increases,” Sen. Lopes added.

Mayor Erin Stewart (R) has proposed a city budget for the upcoming year that would increase property taxes and would mean less funding, in the operating budget allocation for the city’s schools, after inflation. Stewart also decreased a vaguely-defined “non-operating” school grant line item from $2.7 million to $1.5 million, but has sought to portray the remaining $1.5 million as a budget increase for schools.

Two City Council meetings have been called to approve a city budget, one on May 22, 2024 at 6:30pm and the other on June 5, 2025 at 6:30pm. A city budget could be approved at either meeting.

Editor’s note: the cover photo is by local photographer Frank Gerratana