For municipal government buffs and for the record, here is a discussion of a technical issue that we voted on as an amendment to the recent supplementary/deficiency budget. The issue is insurer reimbursements to municipalities for ambulance service.
Budget
budget and local aid updates, community preservation act, financial outlook, local aid policy, priorities/requests, resources, revenue, taxes
The Education Aid Conversation for FY17
Over the next few weeks, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will finalize the data underlying the Chapter 70 education aid distribution for next year and begin to explore options for tweaking the distribution formula. Over the past few years, I’ve been particularly concerned to influence the Chapter 70 formula to address the shortfall that Watertown has experienced.
Download Education Aid Files
The files on this page are related to the Education Aid series of pages on this website. Please do contact me if you notice apparent errors in the analysis on these pages.
State Funding for Local Housing Authorities
In April, Senator Brownsberger presented a letter to Town Meeting regarding the Belmont Housing Authority’s application for Community Preservation Act funds to help pay for an electrical upgrade at one of its properties. The Belmont Board of Selectmen responded expressing concern that the state is providing insufficient financial support for the local housing authority. Here is Senator Brownsberger’s subsequent letter to the Selectmen, which agrees with their concern.
As vote looms, concern raised over tax holiday
The Boston Globe reports on the upcoming vote on the sales tax holiday that, “a growing chorus of legislators and budget watchdogs from across the political spectrum is voicing sharp skepticism about the summer sales tax holiday, a decadelong Massachusetts tradition popular with consumers.” Senator Brownsberger plans to vote against the holiday and is quoted as saying on his website, “[h]olidays are festive and I am not by nature a grinch.”
Cost of Eversource…
IT WAS APPARENT TO ME FROM THE VERY START: WHEN EVERSOURCE WAS PERMITTED TO TAKE OVER OUR UTILITY, I THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE AN INCREASE IN MY ELECTRIC BILL. BUT WHEN MY RECENT BILL ARRIVED IT EXCEEDED ALL OF MY PREDICTIONS. THE UTILITY INDUSTRY IS GOBBLING UP ALL PRODUCTION, AND BORROWING LOTS OF MONEY TO DO SO.