New London could be the state’s smallest city with a full-time lobbyist and grant writer, if Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio gets his way.
Finizio told The Day newspaper that he is looking to budget an unspecified amount of money for a full-time lobbyist and grant writer.
He said the city needs to protect federal and state funding, which accounts for more than 40 percent of the city’s budget. The added jobs were promises made Finizio made during his mayoral campaign.
First, he has to convince the city council that it’s needed, and President Michael Passero has already said he’s concerned about finding the money for the new jobs at a time when cash is tight.
Bigger cities, including Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven and Stamford, contract with lobbying firms and some small cities hire lobbyists for specific purposes rather than have one year round.
