In a letter hand-delivered to Senate
President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) and House Speaker Robert DeLeo
(D-Winthrop) Wednesday afternoon, the Caucus echoed Massachusetts Municipal
Association Executive Director Geoff Beckwith’s warning that a failure to
overturn the Governor’s veto “would slash unrestricted municipal aid to 1986
levels and create widespread fiscal distress in nearly every city and town.”
“If
this funding is not restored, communities across the state will be forced to
lay off thousands of workers and to make devastating cuts to their police, fire
and school departments and other essential municipal services,” the Caucus
wrote. The letter was signed by Senate
Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester), Assistant Minority Leader Robert
Hedlund (R-Weymouth), Minority Whip Richard Ross (R-Wenham) and Senator Michael
Knapik (R-Westfield), the Ranking Republican on the Senate Committee on Ways
and Means.
The local aid reduction was announced
by Governor Patrick on July 12, when he cut a total of $417 million in spending
from the Fiscal Year 2014 budget. In
making the announcement, Patrick noted that the budget approved by the
Legislature on July 1 relied in part on $183.5 million in funding included in a
separate transportation finance bill.
That bill was returned unsigned by the Governor with an amendment on
July 2.
“While
Governor Patrick believes the level of new revenues the Legislature included in
the transportation finance bill is insufficient to balance the budget, it is
unconscionable to think that our 351 cities and towns should be asked to bear
the brunt of his proposed budget cuts,” the Caucus wrote. “Local governments are on the front lines in
providing the basic services upon which our constituents depend, and are facing
enormous pressure to balance their own budgets in the midst of a period of weak
economic recovery. Now is not the time
for the state to renege on its budget promises, but to restore local aid to the
levels endorsed by the House and Senate.”
A copy of the Caucus letter to President Murray and Speaker DeLeo is attached below.
July 17, 2013
The
Honorable Therese Murray
President
Massachusetts State Senate
State House, Room 332
Boston, MA 02133
The
Honorable Robert A. DeLeo
SpeakerMassachusetts House of Representatives
State House, Room 356
Boston, MA 02133
Dear
President Murray and Speaker DeLeo:
We are writing to respectfully request
that you prioritize and expedite the scheduling of an override vote on Governor
Patrick’s veto of $177 million in local aid from the Fiscal Year 2014 budget.
The Governor’s $177 million veto
announced on July 12 represents a 19 percent reduction in unrestricted local
aid. Massachusetts Municipal Association
Executive Director Geoff Beckwith has warned that this veto “would slash
unrestricted municipal aid to 1986 levels and create widespread fiscal distress
in nearly every city and town.” If this
funding is not restored, communities across the state will be forced to lay off
thousands of workers and to make devastating cuts to their police, fire and
school departments and other essential municipal services.
While
Governor Patrick believes the level of new revenues the Legislature included in
the transportation finance bill is insufficient to balance the budget, it is
unconscionable to think that our 351 cities and towns should be asked to bear
the brunt of his proposed budget cuts.
Local governments are on the front lines in providing the basic services
upon which our constituents depend, and are facing enormous pressure to balance
their own budgets in the midst of a period of weak economic recovery. Now is not the time for the state to renege
on its budget promises, but to restore local aid to the levels endorsed by the
House and Senate.
Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request. We look forward to working with both of you to override the Governor’s veto and to restore local aid to our cities and towns.
Sincerely,
Bruce Tarr
State Senator
Robert Hedlund
State Senator
Michael Knapik
State
Senator
Richard Ross
State
Senator
