This week, lawmakers will meet at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to hear from state agencies about budget priorities. The focus will be on energy, the environment and transportation. Mass. Governor Maura Healey's plan includes multiyear funding to modernize roads, bridges and transit. State House News Service reporter Sam Drysdale explains how Western Massachusetts will fit into these priorities, as state officials are likely to talk about continued funding for transportation, infrastructure and economic equity.
Sam Drysdale, SHNS: On infrastructure, there's a particular program in the budget for Western Massachusetts. It contains a $75 million accelerated bridge repair program that's meant to help towns dealing with a backlog of repairs. This is a $75 million new pot of state funding that's meant to help accelerate that. The department is currently looking at projects in Franklin, Hampden, Berkshire and Hampshire counties. So, I think there's going to be a lot of talk about that.
This budget also maintains a fair, free regional transit, which launched across all 15 Regional Transit Authorities (RTA's) last year. Governor Healey's proposal also includes an additional $66 million for the RTA's to support expanded service hours, weekend service and route expansions.
Carrie Healy, NEPM: But that's not all. What other transportation related investments will lawmakers likely hear about tomorrow?
They'll likely hear about local road and bridge funding. That's a perennial issue. With the last few years, it's gone up 50% from the historic funding level of $200 million, up to $300 million... approved by the 4% surtax on high earners. Governor Healey is also proposing to continue that increased funding, with the additional $100 million distributed through a road mileage-based formula that prioritizes rural communities due to those increased road miles. She's also proposing a new program specifically targeting unpaved roads.
We'll also, of course, certainly be hearing a lot about The T [MBTA subway system], which could get historic levels of state aid between the sales tax and over $1 billion of surtax revenue. Healey's budget recommends over $2.5 billion to be spent on the agency. She plans to invest also in modernizing public transit infrastructure to deploy battery electric busses and trains, both across the MBTA and the RTA’s.
Although the governor has already proposed her budget, state agencies like the Department of Conservation and Recreation are presenting their funding priorities to lawmakers. The Legislature then uses that information to draft their own spending plans. Governor Healey's budget trims environmental spending by about 4%, with nearly half of that reduction targeted specifically at the DCR's State Parks Division. Now, given the potential impact on local western Mass recreation, it's worth revisiting. Sam, how did the administration previously justify that belt tightening?
Yeah, the Healey administration has framed this proposal as a balancing act, tightening some lines while maintaining what it calls core park services. The administration points to a combined $141 million investment in state parks operations, seasonal staff and DCR.
Administration officials say that funding level will keep forests, beaches, trails, rinks, pools, campgrounds, all of that open and safe and accessible to the public. But park advocates say that those reductions are meaningful. 'Mass Parks For All' [a statewide non-partisan nonprofit] says that the proposal could cut the state parks operations account by about 8.3%, and trim funding for seasonal employees who staff the facilities during peak months. And that group is urging lawmakers to instead boost those accounts, and says that a stronger investment could help sustain what is the fastest growing outdoor recreation economy in the nation in Massachusetts.
Before I let you go, agriculture will take center stage at this hearing as well. While we've seen the state Agriculture Department focus more on climate resiliency, what other initiatives will that department be championing?
The Department of Agricultural Resources will also highlight several food system and farm support initiatives as it makes its budget case. Commissioner Ashley Randle says the governor's proposal includes a new tax credit aimed at encouraging farmers to donate surplus food, along with continued funding for programs that connect local agriculture with families in need.
One of the biggest pieces of that is the Healthy Incentives Program, funded at nearly $29 million, which helps SNAP recipients buy fresh food directly from Massachusetts farmers. And state officials say that those investments strengthen local farms while improving food access... and that's a message they'll likely emphasize at Agriculture Day at the state House on Wednesday, the day after the hearing.
