The Governor released local aid numbers last week as part of his budget proposal. Most communities see little year-over-year change.
The Governor’s numbers typically become the floor in the budget process. Some communities, including Arlington, do especially well, however, in the Governor’s proposal and there may be some discussion about those numbers.
An additional issue for discussion will be whether the extra $65 million that was distributed last fall (FY12) will be repeated as a late distribution next fall (FY13) or incorporated into the budget. At this time, the Governor’s proposal contemplates a contingent late distribution. Municipalities would receive these funds too late to apply them to their operating budget which must be complete by the start of the fiscal year.
The budget maintains special education circuit breaker funding at the higher $213 million level that we fought for last year. I’ll be looking for feedback from the Department of Education as to the reimbursement rate that will likely result at current cost levels. But $213 million is fairly close to full funding.
Although it is not part of budget, the Governor has indicated that he will support Chapter 90 highway funding at the increased level that it came through at last year.
Click here for a community-by-community comparative analysis of the budgeted local aid.
Click here for the Governor’s narrative about his local aid proposal.
See the chart below for just the major program numbers in Arlington and in the Second Suffolk and Middlesex District.
| Arlington | Belmont | Boston | Cambridge | Watertown | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor's FY14 Proposed | |||||
| Chapter 70 | 9,768,439 | 6,355,373 | 209,416,338 | 13,009,034 | 4,984,927 |
| Unrestricted Government Aid | 6,416,909 | 1,909,790 | 160,247,301 | 18,170,690 | 5,641,884 |
| Annual Formula Local Aid | 128,254 | 53,220 | 2,132,151 | 251,339 | 107,655 |
| Total Section 3 Aid | 16,313,602 | 8,318,383 | 371,795,790 | 31,431,063 | 10,734,476 |
| Change from FY13 | 1,787,197 | 684,350 | 3,689,676 | 4,368,210 | 1,751,058 |
| FY13 budgeted | |||||
| Chapter 70 | 8,109,496 | 5,724,243 | 207,858,813 | 8,892,163 | 3,341,524 |
| Unrestricted Government Aid | 6,416,909 | 1,909,790 | 160,247,301 | 18,170,690 | 5,641,884 |
| Total Section 3 Aid | 14,526,405 | 7,634,033 | 368,106,114 | 27,062,853 | 8,983,408 |
| Changes from Senate Ways and Means budgeted | -7,279 | -2,166 | -181,767 | -20,611 | -6,399 |
| Senate Ways and Means FY13 Budget | |||||
| Chapter 70 | 8,109,496 | 5,724,243 | 207,858,813 | 8,892,163 | 3,341,524 |
| Unrestricted Government Aid | 6,424,188 | 1,911,956 | 160,429,068 | 18,191,301 | 5,648,283 |
| Total Section 3 Aid | 14,533,684 | 7,636,199 | 368,287,881 | 27,083,464 | 8,989,807 |
| Change from House Budgeted for FY13 | 13,832 | 2,166 | 181,807 | 20,611 | 6,399 |
| House Budgeted for FY13 | |||||
| Chapter 70 | 8,102,943 | 5,724,243 | 207,858,773 | 8,892,163 | 3,341,524 |
| Unrestricted Government Aid | 6,416,909 | 1,909,790 | 160,247,301 | 18,170,690 | 5,641,884 |
| Total Section 3 Aid | 14,519,852 | 7,634,033 | 368,106,074 | 27,062,853 | 8,983,408 |
| Change from Governor's FY13 Proposed (House 2) | 463,939 | 291,006 | 14,030,864 | 1,562,856 | 515,212 |
| Governor's FY13 Proposed (House 2) | |||||
| Chapter 70 | 8,102,943 | 5,571,323 | 205,414,453 | 8,643,123 | 3,234,244 |
| Unrestricted Government Aid | 5,952,940 | 1,771,704 | 148,660,757 | 16,856,874 | 5,233,952 |
| Total Section 3 Aid | 14,055,883 | 7,343,027 | 354,075,210 | 25,499,997 | 8,468,196 |
| Change from FY12 Budgeted | 9.50% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| FY12 Budgeted | |||||
| Chapter 70 | 6,880,580 | 5,571,323 | 205,414,453 | 8,643,123 | 3,234,244 |
| Unrestricted Government Aid | 5,952,940 | 1,771,704 | 148,660,757 | 16,856,874 | 5,233,952 |
| Total Section 3 (Major Program) Aid per Budget | 12,833,520 | 7,343,027 | 354,075,210 | 25,499,997 | 8,468,196 |
| Additional Local Aid Distributed 10/31/2011 | 463,969 | 138,086 | 11,586,544 | 1,313,816 | 407,932 |