Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton says it’s possible some surplus money from this year could be used to pay for another year of lobbying services.  The City of Danbury and the Board of Ed spilt the approximate $50,000 for a full-time lobbyist.  Boughton called it a successful endeavor, including having the lobbyist arrange meetings with legislators that the City has had a hard time getting before.

But the lobbyist was not able to overcome the internet lobby.  Danbury officials sought to have state law changed to allow the City to offer $15 per month high-speed internet service. 

Boughton thinks this has been a worthwhile exercise and the Board has been happy with this process. 

Part of the reason for the decision was to try to boost education dollars coming back to the City through the Education Cost Sharing formula.  Danbury officials say the City has the 5th lowest per student spending in the state, with City taxpayers footing 70-cents on every dollar.  The City has claimed that Connecticut is underfunding education in Danbury by some $30 million.