Will Brownsberger — State Senator, Democrat, 2d Suffolk and Middlesex District

The Patrick administration, in collaboration with the legislature, has been doing a good job focusing on long-term financial issues. Click here for the state’s long-term financial model. In a nutshell, the model says that if we can get health costs under control and the economy continues to recover, we will be able to sustain our [...]

Below, please find the local aid numbers released in today’s Senate Ways and Means FY13 budget proposal.  The Senate will debate the budget next week. For more background on local aid issues, please follow this link. Anne Johnson, Committee Counsel and Policy Advisor Office of State Senator William N. Brownsberger

Last week, the House passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2013 budget. The Senate will deliberate the budget in the last full week of May. The House based its predicted revenue numbers on one-time budget fixes in the amount of $140 million, rather than the Governor’s proposed long-term revenue increases through new taxes.  The [...]

I’m glad the local aid is being increased, but I’m very concerned about the cuts being made to other services that need to be funded at a state level, like gang violence prevention.  Mental health, the area in which I work, is still being badly hurt by previous cuts which have not yet been restored, [...]

The consensus revenue estimate underlying the budget appears slightly optimistic and is more uncertain than in some years.

The House Ways and Means Committee has released its draft budget. The draft increases both General Government and Chapter 70 aid. If we are able to hold these increases on the Senate side, all of my communities will benefit.

I transmitted today my annual statement of budget priorities to the Senate Ways and Means Chair.

Mr. Brownsberger, The 2012-2013 budget submitted by the Governor contains a 30 million dollar line item to provide cell phone service to the needy. It will provide free cell phones for over 242,000 in this state. This is absurd and allow me to point out why I feel this way. 1. There is already in [...]

The Governor released local aid numbers last week. Most communities see little change, but a few communities, including Arlington, see substantial Chapter 70 increases.

While I voted against the gambling bill, I think that we got a number of other good things done in this session. The biggest may be the redistricting plan which has been widely praised for the increase it creates in the number of districts from which minority candidates may potentially be elected.

The Governor has signed the budget, making no spending changes and relatively few changes in “outside sections.” He did send back the municipal health care reform provisions with four narrow changes.

Highlights of the final budget include good local aid results, strong municipal health reform, limited spending with no new taxes, moderate reforms of the public counsel system and relatively good funding for a number of high priority human services.

The final budget comes in at the high side of expectations as to local aid.

There are several items of local concern in the Senate Ways and Means Draft Budget released yesterday.

I’ll be reporting on budget issues to the Belmont town meeting on May 9.

Many state agencies have taken very deep cuts, but local aid, health and human services programs have largely been protected.

The House Ways and Means Committee released its budget draft today. It matches the Governor’s local aid numbers.

I sent my annual priorities statement to the House Ways and Means Committee today.

Will, Seeing the budget situation is fluid I had a few questions related to Belmont and State funds. The Belmont Schools have budgeted approximately $1.1m for increases in the SPED budget. About $530,000 of that is lost stimulus funding and the balance is a projected 11% increase in y/y SPED costs based on historical data [...]

In a presentation this evening to the Belmont Board of Selectmen, I will be discussing the outlook for local aid. I will also be discussing prospects for legislation on employee benefit costs and on education innovation.