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March 30, 2021

COVID-19, other factors lead to budget shortfalls within key state agencies

HBJ File Photo The State Capitol in Hartford
By Zachary Vasile

Several state agencies are facing deficiencies in their General Fund allocations this fiscal year, including the Department of the State Comptroller and the Department of Correction, according to new estimates from the Office of Fiscal Analysis.

Combined, the shortfalls amount to $119.5 million for fiscal year 2021, analysts said.

By far the largest single contributor to that figure was the comptroller’s office, which is thought to be behind by $69.2 million in connection with “various fringe benefits accounts.” An increase in the actuarially determined employer contribution for the state employees retirement system made up approximately $41 million of that total, and a bump in the actuarially determined employer contribution to the judges retirement system added another $3.4 million.

There is also an anticipated shortfall of $20 million in the agency’s adjudicated claims account.
 
The Department of Correction is facing a projected shortage of $10.8 million, stemming mainly from the overtime assignments required to cover the shifts of workers out sick with COVID-19. The account for Inmate Medical Services alone is likely about $2.9 million in the red, a deficit analysts attributed to the amount of overtime staff must put in to cover positions the unit has been unable to fill.

The projected deficiency in the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services amounts to $6.5 million. The Office of Fiscal Analysis cited numerous contributing factors, including facility maintenance, expenses associated with community placement for individuals ready for discharge from an inpatient setting, and the cost of contracting with doctors and nurses while the department looks for full-time staff.

Pandemic-related event cancellations put a substantial dent in the operations of the Capital Region Development Authority.

According to analysts, the agency saw shortfalls of $3 million at the Connecticut Convention Center, $2.3 million at the XL Center, and $270,000 at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.

CRDA’s deficiency contributed to a broader $8.4 million gap anticipated within the Department of Economic and Community Development.

The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection has a projected deficiency of $4.1 million. The Office of Fiscal Analysis attributed the shortfall to accumulated leave time for retirees.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is believed to be facing a shortage of about $500,000, owing to an increased caseload. According to researchers, between fiscal years 2019 and 2020, the number of autopsies performed by the agency increased 15.2%, and between 2020 and 2021 that figure is expected to rise again by 3.7%.

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