March 12, 2015
GOV. BAKER FILES $200M CHAPTER 90 BOND BILL
Combined with the $100M Released in January, this 1-Year Bill Would Provide Cities and Towns with a Total of $300M in Chapter 90 Funds for the 2015 Construction Season
Earlier this afternoon, Gov. Charlie Baker filed a one-year $200 million Chapter 90 bond bill for fiscal 2016, and asked legislators to approve the bill quickly so that cities and towns will have access to the money at the start of the construction season.
If the bond bill passes in the next several weeks, combined with the $100 million in new Chapter 90 authorizations the Governor released in January, cities and towns will have access to a total of $300 million to repair and maintain local roads during the 2015 spring-to-fall construction season.
With the state working to erase a $1 billion mid-year budget deficit in fiscal 2015, and a $1.8 billion structural budget gap for fiscal 2016, the Baker-Polito Administration decided to file a one-year Chapter 90 bond bill. Swift passage of the bond bill will ensure that cities and towns can access a total of $300 million in new Chapter 90 funds without delaying the start of the construction season.
The Chapter 90 program provides cities and towns with vital funding to maintain, repair and rebuild 30,000 miles of local roads in every corner of the state. Adequate and timely funding is essential for the growth of our economy and to ensure safe and passable roadways for residents, businesses and visitors.
Immediately after passage of this one-year bond bill, the MMA and local officials will work in partnership with the Administration and legislators to achieve long-range progress and funding for Chapter 90 that is both adequate for cities and towns and sustainable for the Commonwealth.
SWIFT ACTION ON CHAPTER 90 IS NECESSARY TO PREVENT COSTLY AND UNNECESSARY DELAYS IN THE CONSTRUCTION SEASON
PLEASE CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS TODAY AND ASK THEM TO ENACT THE $200 MILLION CHAPTER 90 BOND BILL BY APRIL 1 AT THE LATEST
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