July 8, 2008                                                                                        

House and Senate Reach Agreement on FY 09 State Budget

Rep. Bradley able to secure much needed funds for Hingham

Boston-State Representative Garrett J. Bradley (D-Hingham) is pleased to report that the House of Representatives and State Senate have agreed on the final version of the $28.23 billion Fiscal Year 2009 general operating budget. The accord, known as a Conference Committee Report, was sent to the Governor who signed it with certain line item vetoes.  The items below were not vetoed.

Representative Bradley was able to secure much needed funds for the town of Hingham.  The town will receive $4,850,597 in Chapter 70 funding, an increase of 7.9% from FY 08.  In addition, the town will receive $334,151 in additional assistance and $1,630,053 in total Lottery distribution.  

In addition to local aid, the town of Hingham will receive a $120,000 public safety grant for patrols of Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, Hingham Square and the Hingham Harbor sections of Hingham.

Representative Bradley stated, “The Hingham Police Department does a great job protecting the town.  These funds will allow the Department to increase it’s visibility by adding additional patrols.  This will have a significant impact on certain crimes that the community has experienced recently.”

Other highlights of the FY 09 Budget include:

Veterans

• Provided $18.5 million for annuity payments to certain veterans and their families; and

• Provided $20.9 million for veterans’ benefits payments to indigent veterans.

Local Aid

• Provided $935 million in unrestricted local aid to cities and towns. Despite the fact that only $811 million was available from the Lottery Fund, the budget allocates an additional $124 million to hold cities and towns harmless;

• Provided over $3.95 billion for Chapter 70 education funding, which is a $223 million increase over last year’s allocation. The increase comes as part of a five year plan to move individual school districts toward their target-aid contribution level. Under the Legislature’s plan, each school district would see an increase in Chapter 70 funding over last year;

• Provided $20 million for the Sewer Rate Relief fund to help control the water and sewer bills of ratepayers throughout the Commonwealth;

• Provided $21.35 million in community policing grants to cities and towns;

• Provided $30.3 million Payment in Lieu of Taxes (“PILOT”) payments which represents a $2 million increase over last year; and,

Education

• With respect to Early Education and Care: Provided $197.7 million for child care vouchers for those being served by the Department of Transitional Assistance; $213.6 million for low income child care vouchers; and $79.1 million for supportive child care to ensure that no children with active abuse or neglect cases will be without child care services;

• With respect to the Department of Education: Provided $33.8 million for kindergarten expansion grants; $61.3 million for regional school transportation; $230 million for the special education ‘circuit breaker’; and provided $17.5 million, up $4.5 million from last year, for Expanded Learning Time Grants; and,

• With respect to Higher Education: Provided an increase of $3 million for higher education scholarships; provided an increase of $13.4 million for state and community colleges; and provided an increase of $24.2 million for the University of Massachusetts system.

Public Safety

• Provided $4 million in funding for municipal police training grants;

• Provided over $163 million for services at the Department of Youth Services (DYS);

• Provided $3.3 million for teachers’ salaries to improve teacher retention at DYS;

• Provided $16.7 million for the State Police Crime Lab; and

• Provided $1.2 million to reduce recidivism rates at the Department of Corrections.

Health and Human Services

• Changed the name of the Department of Mental Retardation to the Department of Developmental Services and provided $1.27 billion for that department;

• Provided $685.4 million for the Department of Mental Health;

• Provided $836.5 million for the Department of Social Services;

• Provided a $1 million increase to Head Start programs;

• Provided a $428,000 increase to the Healthy Families program;

• Provided $23 million for salary adjustments for human service providers;

• Provided $300,000 for the Office of the Child Advocate which would act as an oversight agency for state agencies that handle child abuse and neglect; and,

• Provided $25 million for the implementation of electronic medical records to be administered by the pending health care cost containment legislation.

Economic Development

Continued funding for the Commonwealth’s One-Stop Career Centers and increased funding for the Youth-at-Risk program by $1.4 million;

• Provided $25 million for the Life Sciences Center and related programs;

• Provided an increase of $500,000 for the Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship to provide additional community development grants; and

• Provided a $1.1 million increase for adult basic education services.

Housing and Homelessness

Provided $8.25 million to support the implementation of the recommendations of the special commission to end homelessness in the Commonwealth. This funding will be combined with an additional $1.75 investment by Mass Housing;

• Provided over $5.75 million for the continuation of the Soft Second Loan Program;

• Provided $33 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program to provide rental assistance for income eligible households;

• Provided $500,000 to sustain the funding for the Tenancy Preservation Program to provide intervention services in cases where persons with mental disabilities are at-risk of being evicted and becoming homeless; and

• Provided an increase of $500,000 for the Alternative Voucher Housing Program to provide rental assistance for non-elderly persons with disabilities.

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