This alert this afternoon from the Massachusetts Municipal Association –
LEGISLATURE TO APPROVE $25M INCREASE FOR UGGA, BUT WOULD SET FISCAL 2015 CHAPTER 70 AT THE SAME LEVEL OFFERED IN THE GOVERNOR’S BUDGET
HOUSE VOTE EXPECTED TODAY (WED., MARCH 12) AND SENATE VOTE PLANNED FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 13
Legislative leaders in the House and Senate have agreed on a local aid resolution to set fiscal 2015 appropriation amounts for Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) and Chapter 70 school aid in advance of the full budget debate. House leaders unveiled the local aid resolution at a noon caucus today (Wednesday, March 12), with plans to pass it in the afternoon. The Senate is expected to vote on the resolution tomorrow (Thursday, March 13).
HOUSE & SENATE LEADERS EMBRACE $25 MILLION MORE FOR UNRESTRICTED MUNICIPAL AID – A 2.7% INCREASE
Based on the resolution offered by the House and Senate Ways & Means Committees, and the Speaker and Senate President, Unrestricted General Government Aid will increase by $25 million in the fiscal 2015 budget, a 2.7 percent increase for every city and town, bringing that account up to $945 million. This is good news for cities and towns, because the budget filed by the Governor would have level-funded municipal aid, and now local officials can count on an increase in unrestricted aid for next year.
Click HERE to see the Fiscal 2015 Unrestricted General Government Aid amount for your community in the House-Senate Local Aid Resolution, as provided to the MMA by the House Clerk’s Office
HOUSE & SENATE LEADERS WOULD SET CHAPTER 70 AT SAME LEVELS FILED IN THE GOVERNOR’S BUDGET
However, the resolution would fund Chapter 70 education aid at the same amount filed in the Governor’s original fiscal 2015 state budget, a $99.5 million increase above fiscal 2014 levels to bring Chapter 70 up to $4.5 billion. The plan would bring all cities and towns up to foundation levels, phase in the target share funding, and provide all communities with a minimum increase of $25 per student. Most cities, towns and regional school districts would only receive the minimum aid increase of $25 per student. The MMA will be asking legislators to provide a higher minimum aid increase when the full budget is debated later this spring, as the Chapter 70 amounts are not adequate to support current school programs, although the resolution being adopted by the Legislature would make it difficult for lawmakers to offer amendments to increase Chapter 70 from the floor of the House or Senate during budget debate.
FUNDING LEVELS FOR MANY OTHER ESSENTIAL MUNICIPAL AND SCHOOL AID ACCOUNTS WILL BE CONSIDERED LATER THIS SPRING WHEN THE FULL FISCAL 2015 STATE BUDGET IS DEBATED
The local aid resolution does not include the remaining municipal and school aid reimbursement accounts, including the Special Education Circuit-Breaker, Charter School Reimbursements, Regional School Transportation, McKinney-Vento transportation of homeless students, Payments-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT), and Shannon Anti-Gang Grants. Funding for all of these essential programs will be debated during the traditional budget process, and the MMA will be pushing hard for significant increases and full funding for all of these key accounts.
PASSAGE OF A LOCAL AID RESOLUTION CLARIFIES LOCAL BUDGET PLANNING
Typically, the House debates the budget in April and the Senate passes its version in May, and both branches then reach final agreement on the entire budget in late June. Because this timing creates an extraordinary amount of uncertainty for cities and towns as local officials pass their own budgets, municipal leaders and the MMA have called on the Legislature to take early action to set minimum municipal aid and Chapter 70 levels in time to allow communities to make informed budget decisions. Passage of a local aid resolution makes it easier for communities to plan now instead of waiting until late summer.
PLEASE CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS TODAY
The MMA urges all local leaders to contact their Representatives and Senators and tell them what the local aid resolution would mean for each city and town. Please discuss the need to provide a higher Chapter 70 minimum aid increase when the full budget is debated, and the importance of full funding for all of the other essential municipal and school accounts when the budget advances in each chamber, including Charter School Reimbursements, the Special Education Circuit-Breaker, Regional School Transportation, McKinney-Vento Reimbursements, PILOT, Shannon Anti-Gang Grants, and more.
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