Jan 14, 2024, CT Post: Health insurance drove Shelton's $4.5M budget deficit, officials say https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/shelton-budget-deficit-health-care-special-ed-18604590.php
Health insurance overages drove what ended up being a more than $4.5 million deficit in the city’s 2022-23 fiscal year budget.
The Board of Aldermen, at its meeting Thursday, voted to use money from the general fund surplus to cover the deficit. Most of the shortfall, about $4.1 million between the school system and city, was due to health insurance costs. Of the remainder, about $300,000 was due to special education costs from the school system.
Mayor Mark Lauretti said the schools-related costs were "no surprise." He praised the school district’s recent personnel changes, which included consolidating the special education department under Tracy Hussey and hiring a new finance director. …
“In my 32 years (in office), I have never experienced anything like this before,” Lauretti said about what has become annual deficits in the health insurance accounts.
