Melrose Faces $427K Net Local Aid Cut in Senate Ways and Means Budget Proposal
The Senate's first fiscal 2012 budget proposal largely mirrors, in terms of local aid, the final House budget and the governor's proposed budget for next year.
Melrose would take a $427,161 net local aid cut in the Senate Ways and Means Committee's fiscal 2012 budget proposal, which is roughly the same cut the city takes in the already approved final House budget.
Released on Wednesday, the Senate Ways and Means budget is basically the same as the final House budget in terms of Melrose's local aid. The differences are:
- Almost $5,000 less in charter school tuition reimbursement, a total of $385,374. That's still roughly $65,000 more than in Gov. Deval Patrick's proposal, which was released in January (but also has a lower charter school tuition assessment charged against the city).
- Approximately $8,700 for the Police Career Incentive program—known as the Quinn Bill—which gives bonuses to police officers with college degrees. The House budget eliminates any funding for that program, while in the governor's proposal, Melrose would receive $17,408.
On Monday, the Melrose Board of Aldermen approved next year's $62.9 million operating budget without any changes from the initial budget proposal filed by Mayor Rob Dolan in early April. After filing his proposal with the aldermen, Dolan said that his budget is based on a half-million dollar local aid cut.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee traditionally introduces its budget proposal last, before the Legislature hashes out a final version sent to the governor's desk for approval.
In terms of other state-funded programs, according to the non-partisan Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, the Senate Ways and Means budget "does not impose the deep cut to early intervention proposed by the Governor, and appears to fully fund the Commonwealth Care Bridge program to provide health insurance for certain legal immigrants (the House had only funded the program with enough funding for half a year). The SWM budget, however, does not propose restoring as much of the funding for the Special Education Circuit Breaker program as the Governor and the House had."
Below are the latest figures from the state Department of Revenue's Division of Local Services.
Melrose Fiscal 2012 Local Aid Estimates
|
|
FY2011 Cherry Sheet Estimate |
FY2012 Governor’s Budget (H1) |
FY2012 House Final Budget Proposal |
FY2012 SWM Budget Proposal |
|
Education: |
|
|
|
|
|
Chapter 70* |
7,257,935 |
7,323,565 |
7,323,565 |
7,323,565 |
|
School Transportation |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Charter Tuition Reimbursement |
431,664 |
320,484 |
390,770 |
385,374 |
|
Smart Growth School Reimbursement |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Offset Receipts: |
|
|
|
|
|
School Lunch |
11,279 |
12,885 |
12,885 |
12,885 |
|
School Choice Receiving Tuition |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sub-Total, All Education Items |
7,700,878 |
7,656,934 |
7,727,220 |
7,721,824 |
|
|
FY2011 Cherry Sheet Estimate |
FY2012 Governor’s Budget (H1) |
FY2012 House Final Budget Proposal |
FY2012 SWM Budget Proposal |
|
General Government: |
|
|
|
|
|
Unrestricted General Government Aid |
4,337,759 |
4,024,121 |
4,024,121 |
4,024,121 |
|
Local Share of Racing Taxes |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Regional Public Libraries |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Police Career Incentive |
17,217 |
17,408 |
0 |
8,704 |
|
Urban Renewal Projects |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Veterans’ Benefits |
155,935 |
154,478 |
154,478 |
154,478 |
|
State Owned Land |
795 |
793 |
793 |
793 |
|
Exemptions: Vets, Blind, Surviving Spouses & Elderly |
107,884 |
107,961 |
107,961 |
107,961 |
|
Offset Receipts: |
|
|
|
|
|
Public Libraries |
25,738 |
25,864 |
25,864 |
25,864 |
|
Sub-Total, All General Government |
4,645,328 |
4,330,625 |
4,313,217 |
4,321,921 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Estimated Receipts |
12,346,206 |
11,987,559 |
12,040,437 |
12,043,745 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Melrose Fiscal 2012 State Assessments
|
|
FY2011 Cherry Sheet Estimate |
FY2012 Governor’s Budget (H1) |
FY2012 House Final Budget Proposal |
FY2012 SWM Budget Proposal |
|
County Assessments: |
|
|
|
|
|
County Tax |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Suffolk County Retirement |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sub-Total, County Assessments |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
State Assessments and Charges: |
|
|
|
|
|
Retired Employees Health Insurance |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Retired Teachers Health Insurance |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Mosquito Control Projects |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Air Pollution Districts |
7,479 |
7,729 |
7,729 |
7,729 |
|
Metropolitan Area Planning Council |
8,052 |
8,243 |
8,243 |
8,243 |
|
Old Colony Planning Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
RMV Non-Renewal Surcharge |
48,880 |
45,560 |
45,560 |
45,560 |
|
Sub-Total, State Assessments |
64,411 |
61,532 |
61,532 |
61,532 |
|
|
FY2011 Cherry Sheet Estimate |
FY2012 Governor’s Budget (H1) |
FY2012 House Final Budget Proposal |
FY2012 SWM Budget Proposal |
|
Transportation Authorities: |
|
|
|
|
|
MBTA |
544,756 |
544,237 |
544,237 |
544,237 |
|
Boston Metro. Transit District |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Regional Transit |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sub-Total, Transportation Authorities |
544,756 |
544,237 |
544,237 |
544,237 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Annual Charges Against Receipts: |
|
|
|
|
|
Special Education |
1,153 |
191 |
191 |
191 |
|
STRAP Repayments |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sub-Total, Annual Charges |
1,153 |
191 |
191 |
191 |
|
|
FY2011 Cherry Sheet Estimate |
FY2012 Governor’s Budget (H1) |
FY2012 House Final Budget Proposal |
FY2012 SWM Budget Proposal |
|
Tuition Assessments |
|
|
|
|
|
School Choice Sending Tuition |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Charter School Sending Tuition |
2,387,332 |
2,433,870 |
2,504,155 |
2,504,155 |
|
Essex County Tech Sending Tuition |
24,579 |
36,816 |
36,816 |
36,816 |
|
Sub-Total, Tuition Assessments |
2,411,911 |
2,470,686 |
2,540,971 |
2,540,971 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Estimated Charges |
3,022,231 |
3,076,646 |
3,146,931 |
3,146,931 |
