By Bob Katzen

House 25-113, rejected an amendment that would increase unrestricted local aid to cities and towns by 133,310,951 (10 percent) from $1,333,109,519 to 1,466,420,470.

Amendment sponsor Rep. Alyson Sullivan-Almeida (R-Abington) said many of our local cities and towns are sounding the alarm because they are facing a budget crisis with local budgets soaring while the promises for funding from the state are only at a 4 percent increase. She noted that costs are rising for education, public safety, transportation, health care and basic needs, but the state support has not kept pace. As a result, she said we are seeing a sharp increase in local override requests. These overrides are not happening because our communities want to raise taxes. They’re happening because they feel that they have no other options.

Rep. Jack Lewis (D-Framingham) opposed the amendment and said that while further increasing unrestricted aid to our communities may be a tempting prospect, it is important to note that the budget already increases local aid over last year’s final budget and over the governor’s proposed budget, and it does so in a deliberate, responsible and targeted way. He noted that this amendment ignores the broader fiscal realities of our state budget and treats this single amendment as if it exists in isolation, ignoring the other local line items with substantial increases in local aid this year.

(A “Yes” vote is for increasing unrestricted local aid for cities and towns by 133,310,951. A “No” vote is against increasing it.)

Rep. Christine Barber No Rep. Mike Connolly No Rep. Paul Donato No Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven No