House speaker seeks regionalism to cut town costs

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut House Speaker J. Brendan Sharkey is again seeking a regional approach for towns to cut costs.

The Journal Inquirer reports (http://bit.ly/YMFqRF ) that Sharkey appointed Rep. Timothy Larson of East Hartford to head the Municipal Opportunities and Regional Efficiencies Commission. He is to propose changes to state law to promote regionalism.

The commission's ideas likely will be given priority by lawmakers.

Larson said he hopes to include changes in the two-year state budget that lawmakers will pass this spring.

Sharkey says towns must learn to save money because the state will eventually cut municipal funding. One idea is that towns save on computer technology costs by sharing computer servers.

Sharkey and Larson acknowledge that previous efforts to get cities and towns to team up to save money have failed.

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Information from: Journal Inquirer, http://www.journalinquirer.com