This alert this afternoon from the Massachusetts Municipal Association about municipal issues pending before the House Senate Conference Committee that needs to reconcile the two differing versions of the state budget enacted by each for the next fiscal year, which begins 7/1/13 –
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
HOUSE-SENATE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE WORKING ON FISCAL 2014 STATE BUDGET
Call Your Legislators and Urge Their Support for Guaranteed Municipal Aid Increase of $21 Million
Ask Your Reps and Sens to Weigh in With Conferees on $21 Million for UGGA and Other Key Issues
With fiscal 2014 just a few weeks away, the House and Senate have both approved state spending plans for the year that would increase funding for local government, but the bills have important differences that will be resolved by a conference committee before a final budget can be sent to the governor.
Now is the time to contact your Representatives and Senators and ask for their commitment to call on the conference committee to support key local government accounts and issues. The goal for legislators is to deliver a budget to the Governor’s desk 10 days before the start of the fiscal year on July 1, which means that key decisions will be made between now and Friday, June 21. Legislators must hear from you during this time!
HERE ARE THE MAJOR ISSUES TO DISCUSS WITH YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS:
ASK YOUR LEGISLATORS TO SUPPORT THE HOUSE PROVISION TO GUARANTEE A $21 MILLION INCREASE IN UNRESTRICTED GENERAL GOVERNMENT AID: The House and Senate both voted to increase funding for the Cherry Sheet Unrestricted General Government Aid account by $21 million, to $920 million, but the Senate would make the funds contingent on surplus revenues from the state’s fiscal 2013 budget, and if those funds are available, they would not be certified or available until October or November. The House would guarantee the increase by including the $21 million appropriation in the municipal aid base for fiscal 2014.
ASK YOUR LEGISLATORS TO SUPPORT THE SENATE FUNDING LEVEL FOR CHAPTER 70 SCHOOL AID: The Senate budget would increase the fiscal 2014 level of funding to $4.30 billion, an increase of $130 million, $15 million more than the House. This appropriation would ensure that all districts are able to reach the “foundation” level of spending, continue the scheduled “target share” reforms to set a fair framework for state and local contributions, and guarantee that all districts receive at least $25 per student in new aid next year. Also, please ask your legislators to strongly support the language in section 3 of the Senate bill that would begin a limited four-year phase-in to include the health care costs of retired teachers in “net school spending” under Chapter 70 in districts where it is not already included. This is a very important change that would more accurately and consistently count school spending and bring greater integrity to the state’s system of school finance.
ASK YOUR LEGISLATORS TO SUPPORT THE SENATE’S APPROPRIATION TO FULLY FUND THE SPECIAL EDUCATION CIRCUIT BREAKER: The Senate budget would cover the estimated full state share of the special education circuit breaker program at $253 million, an increase of $10 million over the current fiscal 2013 level of funding, and $14 million more than the House would provide. The circuit breaker was an important part of the landmark special education reform law of 2000 and helps all municipal and regional school districts afford quality care for students with the greatest needs. Full funding was a signature achievement of the Legislature’s last year, and the $253 million appropriation is necessary to maintain the same level of commitment to the program. These funds benefit citizens in every city, town and school district in the state.
ASK YOUR LEGISLATORS TO OPPOSE SECTION 37 OF THE SENATE BUDGET, WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE THE 10-MILE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT FOR FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS AND INCLUDE THIS IN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING: Section 37 of the Senate bill would eliminate the statutory 10-mile residency requirement for police officers and firefighters and provide that residency is a subject of collective bargaining. There is no similar provision in the House bill. Currently, the law requires that police officers and firefighters reside no more than 10 miles from the communities in which they work. Section 37 would undermine the management rights of cities and towns. Currently, management may decide to seek a shorter limit, or may be willing to provide some flexibility, but that decision is entirely up to the municipal chief executive, who is held accountable by the voters on matters of public safety and security. By statutorily stating that the residency limit would be a subject of collective bargaining, section 37 would strip the executive of this prerogative, and the residency law would be determined by the outcome of a bargaining agreement, exposing communities to serious management and logistical issues. By making the residency limit an explicit subject of collective bargaining, section 37 would, for the first time, make the residency requirement subject to binding decisions by either the Joint Labor Management Committee or other entities, whereby an unaccountable arbitrator unfamiliar with the needs in a given municipality could unilaterally extend the residency limit beyond 10 miles, over the objections of the mayor, board of selectmen, manager or police chief. This would be a major infringement on management rights, and would raise serious public safety concerns in affected municipalities.
ASK YOUR LEGISLATORS TO OPPOSE SECTION 92 OF THE SENATE BUDGET, WHICH WOULD STRIP CITIES AND TOWNS OF THE ABILITY TO SET FEES FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (AMBULANCES): Outside Section 92 of the Senate budget would make a detrimental change to how cities and towns set fees for emergency medical services, by giving this power to the Commissioner of Insurance instead of allowing communities to set fees locally. There is no similar provision in the House bill. Currently, cities and towns set fees and charges for a wide range of municipal services strictly limited by state law to the cost of providing that service. This is the same rule that applies to local charges for emergency medical services and ensures that rates are reasonable, and prevents insurance companies from shifting costs to local property taxpayers through below-cost reimbursements. The Legislature approved legislation last session that clarified this authority, but the bill was vetoed by the Governor. We do not believe that allowing the Commissioner of Insurance to set local fees and charges through regulation is the appropriate course of action, as this would undermine a local process that is currently fair and working well across the Commonwealth, and could seriously disrupt municipal finances if the state bureaucracy sets fees that are inadequate. While Section 92 would address the increasingly problematic “pay the patient” tactic used by insurance companies, it would take a step back by allowing the commissioner of insurance to set local rates through regulation, and would undermine a local process that is currently fair and working well across the Commonwealth.
ASK YOUR LEGISLATORS TO SUPPORT THE SENATE FUNDING LEVEL FOR CHARTER SCHOOL REIMBURSEMENTS: The diversion of Chapter 70 school aid away from public schools to charter schools as tuition payments is a growing financial burden on local government as more charters are granted and existing schools expand. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) estimates that in fiscal 2014 it will require $103 million to fully fund the state’s obligation to cover a portion of the loss of Chapter 70 school aid as required in the 2010 education reform law reimbursement formula. This account is seriously underfunded in both the House and Senate budgets. For fiscal 2014, we support the Senate appropriation to provide $76 million, which is $6 million more than the House number, and thus falls short of full funding by a smaller margin.
ASK YOUR LEGISLATORS TO SUPPORT THE SENATE BUDGET FOR MCKINNEY-VENTO FUNDING: The Senate appropriation would provide $7.4 million to pay for the unfunded state mandate to provide transportation services to homeless students to schools outside the local school district, which is $1.3 million more than the House. This is a very important account to the cities and towns across the state obligated to provide costly transportation services through the state’s acceptance of the federal McKinney-Vento grant. The Legislature fully funded the account at $11.3 million this year.
ASK YOUR LEGISLATORS TO SUPPORT THE SENATE BUDGET FOR REGIONAL SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION: The Senate would appropriate $51.5 million to fund reimbursements to school districts to help pay for a portion of the costs of transporting students, $5.5 million more than the House. The additional funding would help all cities and towns in regional school districts. DESE estimates that it would require $78 million to cover the state’s full share of this program. In addition, the Senate would provide $3 million to reimburse cities and towns for the cost of transporting students to out-of-district vocational education programs.
ASK YOUR LEGISLATORS TO SUPPORT SENATE FUNDING FOR THE SHANNON GRANT PROGRAM: The Senate appropriation would increase funding for the Shannon Anti-Gang Grant Program to $7 million, which is $2.5 million more than the House. This program is crucial to assist those communities dealing with very challenging public safety and gang-related issues.
ASK YOUR LEGISLATORS TO SUPPORT SENATE FUNDING FOR PAYMENTS-IN-LIEU-OF-TAXES (PILOT): The Senate would provide $27.27 million in reimbursements due under the law to cities and towns that host and provide municipal services to state facilities, while the House would level fund the program at $26.27 million. PILOT payments are vitally important for those cities and towns that host state facilities, and the program has been underfunded for many years.
Call Your Legislators Today and Urge Their Support for Cities and Towns in the Fiscal 2014 State Budget
Thank You!
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