Rep. Jim Himes (D-4th District) says he would like to see more money from President Barack Obama's stimulus package go directly into the hands of the locals.

He spoke to local leaders Monday and explained that the governor is the one who ultimately determines what the money is spent on. Himes says that the $440 million given to Connecticut is going toward highway and transportation.

"Obviously, the people at this table need to be aware that there is an awful lot of discretion in Hartford and that our voices, your voices, need to be heard," Rep. Himes says.

Local leaders are waiting to see where money is going to be spent and how much money will be set aside for local projects. Rep. Himes says that the biggest part of the plan is tax cuts for households making less than $190,000 per year. Some say that there will be other tax cuts as well.

"If you are out of work, you are going to get some tax credits for Cobra," Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff says. "If you are sending a kid to college, you are going to get a little extra on a college loan."

Rep. Himes says that the government is still trying to figure out the process by which grants are rewarded.