STATE OF CONNECTICUT OFFICE OF POLICY AND MANAGEMENT OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY To: Executive Branch Agency Heads From : Ben Barnes Secretary Subject: Responding to Legislative Requests for Information Date: March 5, 2015 Many agencies have received requests over the last several weeks from legislators and the Office of Fiscal Analysis for budget and bonding information. While we all want to be responsive and provide informative and factual material, please keep in mind the following guidance. First, if asked for facts and data, you should feel free to provide the information. If asked to evaluate alternatives or legislative proposals, you are encouraged to respond factually and with the Governor’s agenda in mind. Please provide copies of any information sent to OFA or the Appropriations or Finance committees to your assigned OPM budget analyst. Requests for new ideas, alternative reduction proposals, or for the agency’s priorities in restoring or cutting funds should be referred to OPM. Agencies are expected to support the Governor’s budget rather than providing alternatives to that budget. Lastly, most if not all agencies have received a request from the chairs of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee to provide the following bond-related information:  Authorized but unallocated funds, allocated but unallotted funds, and allotted but unexpended funds; and  A ten year history of bond fund expenditures categorized in some meaningful way. Agencies should do their best to respond to the first bullet for their bonding subcommittee meetings. To assist you in crafting responses, information on bond authorizations and allocations can be found at the following link: http://www.ct.gov/opm/cwp/view.asp?a=2961&Q=463560&PM=1. (Note that this dataset is in an Access database format and has been provided to OFA.) If a response to the second bullet can readily and easily be compiled, that information should also be provided, but we recognize that it may be difficult to accomplish within the requested timeframe. I recognize that responses to these bonding questions may not be uniform or complete. I have tried to communicate some of our systems limitations to the committee, and I encourage you to identify any data limitations impacting your agency when responding. OPM will continue to work with the Finance Committee to make sure that their questions are satisfactorily answered. Thanks very much for your efforts to support the Governor’s budget proposal. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, Gian-Carl Casa or your agency’s assigned budget analyst. c: Agency Fiscal Officers Legislative Liaisons