by Senator Karen Spilka
7/16/2017

BOSTON– The Massachusetts Senate on Friday to approve a final $40.202B billion budget for Fiscal Year 2018. The budget makes reductions in spending from the originally proposed Senate budget due to revised revenue forecasts, but maintains a strong commitment to Chapter 70 education funding and preserving local aid to cities and towns.

Funding specific to MetroWest includes:

- $50,000 for Serenity House in Hopkinton

- $88K National Lancers in Framingham

- $250K Tempo Wayside Youth and Family Support

- $75,000 for a transportation program operated by SMOC to assist people in getting to work

- $100,000 for the 495/MetroWest Corridor Partnership, Inc. 

- $100,000 for the United Way of Tri-County’s Call 2 Talk program  

- $50,000 for a Commercial Driver’s License workforce program operated by the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority

- $100,000 for The Treehouse Foundation, Inc.for planning to replicate the Intergenerational Treehouse Community model in the MetroWest region

- $300,000 For the Ashland public Schools

- $50,000 for the removal of hazardous substances in Ashland

- $50,000 for the planning and design of a public safety building in Ashland 

- $75,000 for Decisions at Every Turn Coalition 

- $30,000 for a Complete Streets project in North Framingham

- $70,000 for upgrades to the Framingham History Center

- $75,000 for Framingham Downtown Renaissance, Inc.

- $300,000 for Framingham Public Schools to mitigate student overcrowding 

- Authorization to conduct a feasibility study for a new MassBay campus to be  located in the town of Framingham 

- $100K Resiliency for Life program in the Framingham High School

- $25K Hoops and Homework

- $75,000 for The MetroWest Free Medical Program, Inc.

- $50,000 for the Holliston Drug and Alcohol Awareness Coalition

$50,000 for the Holliston School Substance Abuse Prevention program

- $100,000 for the Hopkinton Organizing for Prevention Program

- $30,000 for the Veterans Oral History Project at the Morse Institute Library

- $50,000 for the Family Promise MetroWest Homelessness Response Center

Chapter 70 Funding includes:

- $6,012,213 for Ashland Chapter 70 - $76,410 (1.3% ) increase over FY17 GAA

- $42,363,221 for Framingham Chapter 70 - $271,830 (0.6%) increase over FY17 GAA

- $7,441,480 for Holliston Chapter 70 - $78,360 (1.1%) increase over FY17 GAA

- $6,256,963 for Hopkinton Chapter 70 - $104,130 (1.7 %) increase over FY17 GAA

- $9,281,825 for Natick Chapter 70 - $163,980 (1.8%) increase over FY17 GAA

Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) includes:

- $1,350,948 for Ashland Unrestricted General Government Aid - $50,709 (3.9%) increase from FY17 GAA

-  $9,938,983 for Framingham Unrestricted General Government Aid - $373,071 (3.9%) increase from FY17 GAA

- $1,547,029 for Holliston Unrestricted General Government Aid - $58,069 (3.9%) increase from FY17 GAA

- $784,762 for Hopkinton Unrestricted General Government Aid - $29,457 (3.9%) increase from FY17 GAA

- $3,806,809 for Natick Unrestricted General Government Aid - $142,893 (3.9%) increase from FY17 GAA

The FY 2018 conference committee report passed the Senate with a vote of 36 to 2.  The budget will now go to Governor Baker for his signature.