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February 21, 2021 / 2021 Power 50

2021 Power 50: 23. Melissa McCaw

Melissa McCaw

Gov. Ned Lamont holds a lot of power over Connecticut’s purse strings, particularly with his pandemic-era emergency powers in full effect and federal stimulus aid flowing, but Melissa McCaw, his budget director, knows the state’s checkbook inside and out.

The Wesleyan alum began her career at the Office of Policy and Management in the early 2000s, and nearly two decades later she now leads the agency as secretary, following top financial roles at the University of Hartford and in Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin’s administration.

As Connecticut continues to reel from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lamont recently released his $46 billion budget plan for the coming two years, which McCaw will champion and lobby for over the next few months.

Lamont’s budget leans heavily on federal aid and the state’s rainy day fund to avoid raising taxes. However, members of his own party are pushing to spend reserves or hike taxes on the wealthy to help residents impacted by the pandemic.

Luckily, tax revenues in recent months have been higher than anticipated, helping shrink a projected deficit, but it’s clear that the budget debate set to conclude in June will be vigorous.

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