Education official offered $49k raise

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- Connecticut's Executive Vice President of the Board of Regents for Higher Education is being given a pay raise of close to $49,000. However, News 8 has learned that Michael Meotti is not accepting the money.

After the CT Mirror first published this story questions arose as to how more than two dozen Board of Regents employees in the state college system received substantial raises.

However, the Board of Regents counters that there has been more than $5 million in central office savings: money that goes straight to the campuses.

State money doesn't grow on trees, which begs the question, in yet another lean budget year, how does a state employee for the university system get a $49,000 raise?

"That's what some people don't make in a year," said one female student.

Some CCSU students are wondering the same thing.

"I feel like I'm paying him to get paid, instead of my education," CCSU student Crystal Reyes said. "Is he getting my book money?)

Michael Meotti, Executive Vice-President of the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education, originally was awarded a $49,000 raise to his already $183,000 a year salary. However, when a storm of controversy erupted, he declined the increase.

"Well the question is why would he get a raise like that in the first place," asked State Senator Beth Bye.

Senator Bye, co-chairwoman of the Higher Education Committee, says the goal of the recently merged college system, was to benefit the many, not the few.

"We don't give commissions for cost savings, we don't spread the money around central office, those dollars, our intent was that they always go to the classrooms," Senator Bye said.

Governor Dannel Malloy took a neutral approach on the topic.

"They saved about $5.5 million, they thought it was appropriate giving raises, they've had second thoughts on that," Governor Malloy said, "they need to run the system, the Governor doesn't run the system, sounds like they've acted."

Senator Bye wants further investigation on how and why the raises were given, for that matter, so do some students.

"I don't think he should have ever taken it to begin with," the female student said.

Dr. Robert Kennedy, President of the Board of Regents, released a statement Tuesday. It reads, in part, "The Board of Regents will be reviewing all other personnel salary adjustments that were made on the basis of additional duties, responsibilities, and roles assigned resulting from the consolidation."

Meanwhile, Representative Robert Willis, co-chairwoman of the higher education committee, is also asking for answers to these raises during a state-wide wage freeze.