Lawmakers press agencies for cost details as officials urge loosening of budget language tied to Green Mountain youth facility

A legislative committee heard detailed testimony on a proposed in-state facility for high-acuity youth and the budget language that could block further project steps.

The committee’s chair said lawmakers requested the briefing because recent House and Senate budget language requires additional information before the state can proceed on the project and noted that a deputy secretary’s memo had not fully answered the committee’s questions. “I was hesitant in the deputy secretary’s memo, to really buy into that there’d be $21,000,000, of, quote, unquote, savings,” the chair said, pressing witnesses to explain how savings were calculated and how any identified savings would be preserved in future budget cycles.

Why it matters: The agencies are seeking to develop a 41-bed high-end system of care that includes a small secure facility and other programs intended to reduce out-of-state placements. Lawmakers want clearer, line-by-line estimates of the facility’s operating cost and the assumptions behind projected savings before allowing commitments that could create long-term operating obligations.

Buildings and General Services Commissioner London Manoli said the department has run an RFP process, signed a…