The Valley Council of Governments has adopted a resolution it hopes will prevent cutbacks in a federal grant that has been a key source of funding for the Valley’s anti-poverty agency, TEAM Inc.
The resolution urges President Barack Obama and Congress to maintain the Community Services Black Grant Program — an important source of TEAM funding.
The Valley COG resolution also states that TEAM’s work is critically important to the well-being of economically vulnerable families in the Valley.
Those who serve on the Valley Council of Governments include Ansonia Mayor James Della Volpe, Derby Mayor Anthony Staffieri, Seymour First Selectman Paul Roy and Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti.
President Obama wants to decrease spending on the program by 7.5 percent.
A significant reduction in the funding will eviscerate management oversight and program options at a most inconvenient time, said Richard Knoll, president and chief executive officer of TEAM, based in Derby.
He said the agency currently gets $230,000 from the grant program. It is used for core support and management costs and covers a good portion of the salaries. The total TEAM budget is $9 million a year, including $5 million in home heating assistance funds, he said.
“It would mean a cutback in serves all along the line from children to seniors,” Knoll said in an interview about the potential cutbacks.
TEAM serves Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Milford, Orange, Oxford, Shelton, Seymour and Woodbridge.
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D‑CT, said in an e‑mail that she will continue to fight for funding of the grant — and fight against any proposed cuts, regardless of which party is proposing them.
With unemployment in Connecticut at more than 9 percent, this is not the time to cut critical services, DeLauro said.
“Cuts to the Community Services Block Grant will be harmful to families, our workforce, and the economy, and I am deeply concerned about their impact,” DeLauro said. “These funds support important safety net services to help low-income families get on their feet, such as child care, job training, and nutrition, at the community level for 16 million Americans.”
DeLauro said she has consistently supported increased funding for the block grant program, and voted against a Republican proposal to entirely eliminate the funding. She also said she does not support President Obama’s call to cut the funding by half.
Rick Dunne said politicians who want to reduce spending shouldn’t limit the debate to non-defense, discretionary money, which includes funding for social services and is a tiny portion of the U.S. budget.
“It’s bad for America. If you are going to cut expenditures, everything should be on the table,” Dunne said.
