House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North
Reading) released the following statement today regarding Governor Charlie
Baker’s proposed $40.5 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2018:
“Governor Baker’s budget proposal charts a fiscally responsible
course for the Commonwealth that emphasizes a commitment to our cities and
towns and accountability to the state’s taxpayers.
I am thrilled to see the Baker-Polito Administration
continue to prioritize local aid for our cities and towns. Maintaining strong state-municipal
partnerships is crucial to ensuring that all residents of the Commonwealth share
in the state’s prosperity. The proposed
$91 million increase in Chapter 70 education aid and $40 million increase in
unrestricted local aid will help further this goal by providing critical
funding for schools, public safety and other important municipal services, and
form a strong starting point for our local aid discussions.
The Governor’s budget continues to take positive steps
towards reducing the state’s structural deficit, and significantly reduces the
use of one-time spending revenues. His budget not only avoids drawing from the
state’s stabilization fund, but also calls for a portion of the state’s tax
revenues to be deposited directly into the fund every year before other
spending priorities are set. This is a
sensible approach that will help build the fund so that vital state programs and
services residents rely on can be preserved during future economic downturns.
Governor Baker has made it clear that he will oppose any
plans to implement a broad-based tax increase.
As the budget process moves to the Legislature, I am hopeful the House
and Senate will follow this same philosophy when crafting their respective
spending plans. I look forward to
working with my colleagues and the Administration over the next few months to
develop a budget that will address many of the needs of the citizens of the Commonwealth.”
