‘The Office of Mayor David S, Cassetti has released the following statement regarding the report issued by the Connecticut Commissioner of Education on Thursday, November 29, 2018: For Immediate Release December 3, 2018 “The City of Ansonia’s legal counsel is in receipt of a report from the Connecticut Commissioner of Education relative to the Board of Education's 10-4b Complaint. The report recommends that the State Board of Education conduct an inquiry into whether Ansonia has met the minimum budget requirement from fiscal year 2018-2019, and also recommends dismissal of the Ansonia Board of Education’s allegations that the minimum budget requirement was not met in fiscal years 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. After review of the report, it is clear that the recommendation on fiscal year 2018-2019 is based on the Commissioner's interpretation of a state law recently passed by the Connecticut legislature which, on its face, allows Connecticut municipalities to amend their budgets in the event that they received over $100,000 in unanticipated state aid in that year’s state budget. ‘The legal interpretation of the new state law is the subject of litigation currently pending in the Connecticut Superior Court, and therefore cannot be resolved by the Commissioner or the State Board of Education, The decision of the Connecticut Superior Court will ultimately take precedence over the finding of any state board or agency. The City of Ansonia maintains that no violation of the minimum budget requirement hes taken place, and that the new state law allowed the City to adjust its education budget to compensate for the damage wrought by an unpredictable 2018-2019 state budget. In this case, the adjustment ‘was necessary to avoid a tax rate increase, And, notwithstanding any contention to the contrary, the City maintains that the Board of Education received approximately $1.8 million more in state aid than it was anticipating in fiscal year 2017-2018, and that any suggestion that the Board of Education received less money than anticipated is false This matter will continue to be litigated in the most appropriate venue -the Connecticut Superior Court — irrespective of any action taken by the Commissioner of Education or State Board of Education,”