Office of the State Comptroller - Nancy Wyman

2001 Comptroller's Report on  Connecticut's Economic Health

	State of Connecticut
NANCY WYMAN COMPTROLLER		MARK OJAKIAN DEPUTY COMPTROLLER
	Hartford

February 1, 2001

Dear Fellow Citizens:

As the state's chief fiscal guardian, I am proud to present this issue of The Comptroller's Report: Connecticut's Economic Health. In this annual report we take a common sense look at the fiscal condition of our state and explain our findings in a way that is easily understandable.

This report shows how the robust national economy has benefited Connecticut, presents projections that point to slower economic growth in future years, and offers recommendations to prepare for that potential.

In the coming years it is likely the state will continue to confront the dual pressures of slowing revenue growth and the need to live within the constitutional cap on state spending that was approved by voters in 1992. In order to respect the limits of the spending cap while providing vital state services to residents it will be necessary to find greater efficiencies in the way our government delivers services to our citizens.

In this report, I have detailed initiatives that I believe can safeguard the state and its citizens against an economic slowdown; greatly improve the state's ability to track how tax dollars are being spent, and share the resources and bargaining power of state government with our cities and towns.

These initiatives include:

• Increasing the state's emergency Rainy Day Fund and distributing its annual interest to every city and town in Connecticut
• Upgrading the state's core financial and administrative computer systems
• Improving the state's Municipal Employees' Retirement System
• Expanding the state's Municipal Employees' Health Insurance Program

I hope this report will not only inform the reader as to the fiscal health of our state, but will encourage participation in the democratic process that affects every citizen of Connecticut.

Sincerely,

Nancy Wyman
State Comptroller

Table of Contents |  Index of Comptroller's Reports |  Comptroller's Home Page