Category Archives: Budgets

House $ for Medfield

Posted on April 11, 2013 | 2 comments

Email from John Nunnari  last night –

Numbers from today’s House budget.

 

john

 

Municipality/Regional District

7061-0008 Chapter 70

 Unrestricted General Government Aid Annual Formula Local Aide
FY ’13 Actual Appropriation

$5,730,534.00

$1,226,088.00

$0.00
Governors FY ’14 Proposal

$5,797,959.00

$1,226,088.00

$26,530.00
Medfield (House FY ’14 Proposed Numbers)

$5,797,959.00

$1,255,070.00

$0.00
Medfield (Senate FY 14 Proposed Numbers)

$0.00

$0.00

$0.00
FY ’14 Conference Committee Report           July +/-

$0.00

$0.00

$0.00
       

 

 

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA

2 Comments

Posted in Budgets

House budget $1B. less than Gov.’s

Posted on April 10, 2013 | Comments Off on House budget $1B. less than Gov.’s

This from the Massachusetts Municipal Association –

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

HOUSE W&M COMMITTEE RELEASES FY 2014 BUDGET

Proposal Spends $1B Less than House One

Debate to Start on April 22

 • Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) Increased by $21.3M

• Chapter 70 Education Aid Increased by $110M Using Existing Formula

• All Cities, Towns & Districts Guaranteed $25 Per Student Minimum Aid

• Special Ed Circuit Breaker Increased by $5M above House One

• Regional School Transportation Increased by $1M above House One

Highlights of the House W&M Proposed FY 2014 Budget:

• Offers a $21.3 million increase in Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA), guaranteeing that cities and towns will receive all of their Lottery revenues.  The budget does not include the Governor’s new “formula aid” account.

• Adds $110 Million to Chapter 70 to guarantee $25 per student minimum aid for all cities, towns and school districts, and fully funds the existing schedule to implement the Chapter 70 formula.  The budget does not include the Governor’s proposed formula changes and accelerated implementation schedule.

• Increases the Special Education Circuit-Breaker account to $235 million, $5 million above the Governor’s budget, which had level funded the program at $230 million (the circuit breaker was originally $242M for fiscal 2013, but was cut by $11.5 million in December using 9C powers).

• Increases the Regional School Transportation account to $45.5 million, $1 million above the Governor’s budget, which had level funded the program at $44.5 million (the account was originally $45.5 million for fiscal 2013, but was cut by $1 million in December using 9C powers).

• Level-funds the McKinney-Vento Reimbursement at $6.1M, the same amount as House One.

• Level-funds Library aid at $16M, the same amount as House One.

On Wednesday afternoon, April 10, the House Ways and Means Committee released its version of the fiscal 2014 state budget, a $33.8 billion proposal that is $1 billion lower than the budget filed by the Governor in January.  The Governor’s budget had relied on a sweeping $1.9 billion tax increase, and the Legislature is preparing to enact a smaller budget plan because their tax package is smaller, and is targeted to transportation.   

Click here for a link to the House Ways and Means proposed Chapter 70 and unrestricted municipal aid amounts for your community:

Click here for a link to the House Ways and Means Committee’s budget site, which contains all of the narrative and information on their proposal:

Municipal Aid

The House Ways and Means Committee’s proposed budget would increase fiscal 2014 Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) by $21.3 million, increasing the account up to $920.2 million.  The expected growth in Lottery proceeds is predicted to be $10 million, thus the proposed budget would guarantee that cities and towns will receive 100% of their Lottery funds, and an increase above that amount.  Further, because the municipal aid increase is proposed in the existing UGGA program, these funds will be much more predictable in future years, ensuring a stable source of direct, unrestricted municipal aid.  House One had level-funded UGGA at $899 million.

The HW&M proposed budget does not include the new “Annual Formula Local Aid” program proposed in House One.  That new $31 million program would have used a new distribution formula instead of restoring UGGA funds, and was linked to another proposal to establish a special fund to be distributed to communities who qualified based on state-set incentives to be determined by A&F in the future.

Chapter 70

The House Ways and Means budget proposes to increase fiscal 2014 Chapter 70 distributions by $110 million, fully funding the existing Chapter 70 formula and implementation schedule, while also guaranteeing an increase of at least $25 per student for all cities, towns and school districts.  The Governor had proposed to expand the Ch. 70 formula to give greater weight to out-of-district Special Education placements and eliminate the cap on pre-K students included in enrollment for formula purposes, and to accelerate the implementation schedule for the 2007 “target share” changes passed by the Legislature.

151 cities, towns and school districts will receive the same amount of aid under both plans, but, for many cities and towns, Chapter 70 is perhaps the largest difference between the House Ways and Means budget and the Governor’s proposal.  House One would have used revenues from the Governor’s income tax increase to boost Chapter 70 by $226 million through the enhancements noted above, while the House plan would fully implement the existing Chapter 70 formula through the current schedule.  MMA recommends that you contact DESE directly to determine how the changes would affect your minimum required local contribution.

Other Key Accounts

Special Education Circuit-Breaker – The House Ways and Means Committee budget would increase the Special Education Circuit-Breaker account to $235 million, $5 million above the Governor’s budget, which had level funded the program at $230 million (the circuit breaker was originally $242M for fiscal 2013, but was cut by $11.5 million in December using 9C powers).  This is approximately $5 million below full funding.

Regional School Transportation – The House Ways and Means Committee budget would increase the Regional School Transportation account to $45.5 million, $1 million above the Governor’s budget, which had level funded the program at $44.5 million (the account was originally $45.5 million for fiscal 2013, but was cut by $1 million in December using 9C powers).  This is still below full funding.

Charter School Reimbursements – This account would be level-funded, which is approximately $10 million below the amount needed to fully fund the reimbursement formula.

PILOT – The House Ways and Means budget would level-fund the Payment-in-lieu-of-taxes program at $26.3 million, the same as House One.

HOUSE BUDGET DEBATE WILL START ON MONDAY, APRIL 22

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES TODAY

DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF FUNDING FOR LOCAL AID AND EDUCATION ACCOUNTS – PLEASE SUPPORT THE INCREASE IN UNRESTRICTED MUNICIPAL AID (UGGA), THE SPECIAL EDUCATION CIRCUIT BREAKER, AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION, AND ADVOCATE FOR ALL ACCOUNTS THAT ARE KEY TO YOUR COMMUNITY

THE MMA WILL CONTINUE TO ANALYZE THE BUDGET AND AMENDMENTS, AND WILL BE PUSHING HARD FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.  PLEASE CHECK THE MMA WEBSITE (WWW.MMA.ORG) FOR FURTHER UPDATES.

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Posted in Budgets

Patch article on garage

Posted on April 9, 2013 | Comments Off on Patch article on garage

I just posted the following at Patch on their article about the new DPW garage –

Kudos to the Building Committee for both (1) their diligence in pursuing the town’s best interests in a transparent process, and (2) the complete explanations they have provided to us. I wish garages were not so expensive, but after attending most of the Building Committee’s meetings, they have convinced me both that garages are, and that this iteration is our current best option. I am told that the final bids will be opened on 4/19/13, so the voters will know the actual cost when we are asked to vote at the 2/29/13 annual town meeting (ATM) and at the election the next day on 4/30/13.

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Posted in Budgets, Buildings, DPW

Increased Chap. 90 $ clears House Ways & Means

Posted on April 4, 2013 | Comments Off on Increased Chap. 90 $ clears House Ways & Means

From John Nunnari –

TAX BILL, CHAPTER 90 PROPOSAL CLEAR WAYS AND MEANS
The proposal by top Democratic lawmakers to boost state revenue by $500 million to finance transportation needs won endorsement Wednesday of the House Committee on Ways and Means, which polled members starting Tuesday evening. The committee voted 17-6, with three members reserving their rights, in favor of the bill (H 3382), which would add money for transportation through an increase in tobacco taxes, business taxes and a gas tax increase. A related borrowing authorization bill (H 3379) to send $300 million to cities and towns for local roads through the Chapter 90 program this year won unanimous support for the committee with a 26-0 vote. Rep. Carl Sciortino (D-Medford) said he reserved his rights in the poll and said the $500 million plan did not meet the needs of the transportation system, which Gov. Deval Patrick has said will need about $1 billion annually. “I think the bill as it stands is inadequate. We clearly need to do more than that,” Sciortino told the News Service. The bills are expected to be debated in a formal session on Monday. The House Clerk’s office anticipates the House will set a deadline of Friday at 5 p.m. for amendments to both bills. Polling closed at 10:30 a.m. – M. Murphy

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA

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Posted in Budgets, DPW

MMA’s reaction to legislative proposal

Posted on April 2, 2013 | Comments Off on MMA’s reaction to legislative proposal

This from the Massachusetts Municipal Association this afternoon –

Tuesday, April 2, 2013 

 LEGISLATIVE LEADERS ANNOUNCE TRANSPORTATION FINANCE FRAMEWORK AND PLAN

SPEAKER & SENATE PRESIDENT EMBRACE $300M FOR CHAPTER 90

Leaders Commit to Forward Funding and Increases for RTAs

Plan Includes $500m in Targeted Taxes, $250m in Agency Revenues

Earlier today, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Senate President Therese Murray, and the respective chairs of the House and Senate Ways and Means and Transportation Committees announced agreement on a comprehensive framework to address the state’s transportation finance crisis.  The plan includes a commitment to increasing Chapter 90 funding to $300 million a year, and forward-funding regional transit systems across the state.

The details of the framework were announced at a State House press conference, and the highlights include:

• $300 million for the Chapter 90 program, a fifty percent increase in funding, beginning with passage this month of a one-year bond bill for fiscal 2014 to avoid delays during the current construction season, and passage of the $300 million amount in a multi-year bond bill to be considered by the Legislature later this session;

• Forward funding of all regional transit systems in the fiscal 2014 budget (an $80 million commitment), and funding increases for RTAs in future budgets;

•  Closing the state government’s existing transportation funding gap and investing in new projects through a combination of $500 million in new targeted tax revenues and $250 million in agency revenues phased in over several years, which would be distributed in the state budget and passage of a multi-year transportation bond bill that will be considered this summer or fall.

 

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE MMA’S STATEMENT ON THE HOUSE-SENATE TRANSPORTATION FRAMEWORK

 

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE LEGISLATURE’S POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ON THE PLAN

There are many steps remaining in this process, including: passage of the one-year $300 million Chapter 90 bond bill that will be before the House tomorrow (Wednesday, April 3) and the Senate as early as next week; debate and passage of the tax and agency revenue proposals in April; passage of the fiscal 2014 state budget with the necessary funding; and passage of a multi-year transportation bond bill to maintain and increase investment in our transportation infrastructure.

Please contact your Representatives and Senators to discuss the Legislature’s plan, ask them to support the Chapter 90 increase, and tell them you will support the revenue increases necessary to fix our broken transportation finance system.

Thank you very much!

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Posted in Budgets, Massachusetts Municipal Association

$200,715 more for town for roads proposal

Posted on April 2, 2013 | Comments Off on $200,715 more for town for roads proposal

Email from John Nunnari with town’s suggested Chapter 90 road repair monies  from the legislature –

In case you hadn’t seen the numbers, below is a detailed overview of potential Chapter 90 funding as contained in the current agreement between the House and the Senate relative to the improvement of the Commonwealth’s transportation system.

Chapter 90:  $300M versus $200M Funding

   

 

FY14
APPORTIONMENT

FY13
APPORTIONMENT

 

                 300,000,000               200,000,000

 

   

CITY OR TOWN DISTRICT

$300M Apportionment

$200M Apportionment

Difference             $300M vs. $200M
MEDFIELD

3

                      602,145

                   401,430

200,715

John

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA

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Posted in Budgets

CONSTRUCTION SEASON POISED TO START WITHOUT ROAD FUNDING ACCORD

Posted on April 1, 2013 | Comments Off on CONSTRUCTION SEASON POISED TO START WITHOUT ROAD FUNDING ACCORD

From the Statehouse News Service, via John Nunnari –

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, MARCH 28, 2013……State law calls for cities and towns to be formally notified of state aid for local road and bridge repairs on April 1 of each year, a deadline intended to facilitate construction during the warmer months.

But Chapter 90 funding levels for fiscal 2014 remained a mystery Thursday as the House gaveled out of session for the week with talks continuing behind the scenes on a large transportation financing package.

And even if the outline of an accord on road and bridge repair funding levels is reached soon, as some speculate, cities and towns can’t forge ahead on contracts until authorization legislation is signed into law, a situation that caused months of delay last year when local road fix funding got hung up in red tape.

Gov. Deval Patrick this year wants to boost Chapter 90 funding to $300 million a year, up from $200 million, and to raise taxes to help pay for those and other transportation investments. The spending authorization for Chapter 90 is tied up in a 10-year bond bill filed by Patrick seeking $19 billion in long-term spending.

House and Senate Democrats want to raise revenues for transportation too, but are having difficulty agreeing on a consensus plan, an effort that has consumed the attention of legislative leaders during a new annual legislative session that is off to a slow start.

Auburn Republican Rep. Paul Frost, who attended Thursday’s brief House session, said afterwards that all transportation financing issues are “up in the air” and speculated that House Democrats might roll Chapter 90 funding into a larger financing package and use the popular program to justify higher taxes.

House Minority Leader Brad Jones said Thursday that House Republicans are considering Chapter 90 as they develop their own proposals for the anticipated transportation financing debate.

Jones said the House GOP was “still in conclave” and not ready to discuss their ideas, but that members in reviewing proposed transportation spending are considering “what is need versus want versus wish.”

Jones said Republicans are looking for signs from House Speaker Robert DeLeo about the House’s direction on transportation financing and speculated that given the Winthrop Democrat’s recent statements on the topic “it sounded like it may not happen.”

DeLeo has committed to tackling transportation financing but said after a political caucus with House Democrats on Wednesday that he wasn’t sure where the House was heading on the issue.

As for missing the funding notification deadline again, Frost said, “We don’t control the schedule. We don’t control when things come up.”

Noting cities and towns still have Chapter 90 funds left over from last year since the monies were also delivered late, Jones said local officials have not contacted him with concerns about Chapter 90. Local officials, he said, are currently focused on cleaning up streets and sidewalks after the rough winter.

Geoffrey Beckwith, president of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, was not overly concerned about the April 1 deadline on Thursday and said he’s sensing “possible action” on transportation financing legislation in the next two weeks.

“We know that Chapter 90 is a top priority of legislators,” Beckwith said. “We believe that there’s a real desire and receptivity to get this done in one package.”

END
03/28/2013

Serving the working press since 1910

http://www.statehousenews.com

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Posted in Budgets, DPW

Financial model training

Posted on March 20, 2013 | Comments Off on Financial model training

Water and Sewer Board member, Willis Peligian, conducted a training for three hours this morning on the financial model that he has created to plan rate increases for the water and sewer rates.  It is an extremely sophisticated spreadsheet that allows one to manipulate the assumptions and quickly see the long term results.

W&S will hold a hearing at 7 PM on 4/3 in the Chennery Meeting Room at the Town House to discuss its proposed rate increases, at which time the model will undoubtedly be used to explain the need for the rate increases.

Willis just finished creating the model, and is giving it to the town.  It is the sort of model that all town departments should use, based on what I saw this morning.

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Posted in Budgets, Water & Sewer

HOUSE REJECTS GUV’S LOCAL AID CUTS

Posted on February 5, 2013 | Comments Off on HOUSE REJECTS GUV’S LOCAL AID CUTS

From John Nunnari –

HOUSE REJECTS GUV’S CALL FOR LOCAL AID CUT, INCLUDES $115 MIL IN BUDGET BILL: The House on Monday rejected Gov. Deval Patrick’s request for the power to make a 1 percent local aid cut and advanced legislation aimed at snapping this year’s budget back into balance. The House bill includes Patrick’s call to dip into the state’s rainy day fund for $200 million more to support spending in the $32.5 billion budget Patrick signed last summer but which fell out of balance due to overly optimistic tax revenue projections. Patrick last December ordered $225 million in unilateral midyear spending cuts and asked for the power to cut local aid, but lawmakers and municipal officials were cool to that idea. Under an order adopted Monday, House members have until noon Wednesday to file amendments to the supplemental budget, which authorizes $115 million in new expenditures even as it attempts to rein in spending with provisions requiring 1 percent midyear spending cuts in legislative and public higher education accounts, for example. The bill includes $30 million in spending authorizations in connection with the widespread government reaction to an evidence tampering scandal at a state drug testing lab. A committee aide said Monday that House Ways and Means does not prepare summaries of bills that do not originate in that committee – the House bill is based on one filed by Patrick (H 43). Rep. Martha Walz (D-Boston), assistant vice-chair of Ways and Means last session, declined to comment Monday on the supplemental budget bill. 11:54 a.m.

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Posted in Budgets

Town at max on trash levels

Posted on January 31, 2013 | Comments Off on Town at max on trash levels

MassDEP gave me a town by town map of trash produced by each town in the state at the Massachusetts Municipal Association annual meeting last weekend.  This is a listing of the trash that goes to the incinerator.  Unfortunately, we are in the group of towns that produce the maximum amounts of trash.  On the attached map we are in the red category, the highest, producing something more that 2250 pounds of trash per household per year.

  • 1276 lbs/household/year = statewide average for towns using PAYT and/or Smart systems
  • 1914 lbs/household/year = non-smart towns average
  • >2250 lbs/household/year = Medfield

There has to be a way to save the town some money by cutting down on the high amounts of our trash.

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Posted in Budgets, Recycling & Solid Waste