Mass. Senate endorses local infrastructure funding
Boston — Wednesday, Sen. Adam G. Hinds, D-Pittsfield, announced the fiscal year 2020 Chapter 90 apportionment figures for the 52 communities in his Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden Senate District. This funding is authorized in H.69, “An Act financing improvements to municipal roads and bridges,” which the Massachusetts Senate passed Tuesday.
The so-called Chapter 90 bond bill funds local road and bridge repairs, continuing the Legislature’s ongoing commitment to invest in local communities. The bill provides $200 million in FY ‘20 for municipal infrastructure improvements across the Commonwealth.
Chapter 90 funds are allocated using a longstanding formula based on community road miles, population and employment. H.69 now moves to the House of Representatives for enactment and then will return to the Senate for final approval, after which it will be sent to Gov. Charlie Baker for his signature.
FY ‘20 Chapter 90 funding for Berkshire County communities is as follows:
Adams– $287,324
Alford– $71,454
Becket– $237,326
Cheshire– $200,252
Clarksburg– $74,542
Dalton– $222,689
Egremont– $150,472
Florida– $162,146
Great Barrington– $409,799
Hancock– $68,085
Hinsdale– $156,048
Lanesborough– $219,439
Lee– $285,824
Lenox– $282,098
Monterey– $196,958
Mount Washington– $69,423
New Ashford– $43,120
New Marlborough– $340,708
North Adams– $435,324
Otis– $178,640
Peru– $144,138
Pittsfield– $1,365,887
Richmond– $165,460
Sandisfield– $324,904
Savoy– $197,375
Sheffield– $356,543
Stockbridge– $199,678
Tyringham– $102,591
Washington– $169,582
West Stockbridge– $152,042
Williamstown– $300,276
Windsor– $250,163
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Hinds secures $1 million more for Rural School Aid
Boston — Sen. Adam G. Hinds, D-Pittsfield, announced that Wednesday that the Massachusetts Senate adopted his budget amendment to increase funding for the Rural School Aid grant program by $1 million, raising the total appropriation for this account to $2.5 million in the fiscal year 2020 Senate budget. Hinds’ amendment passed on a vote of 39–0, enjoying bipartisan support from members representing both rural and urban regions across the Commonwealth.
In 2018, 33 school districts, mostly located in western and central Massachusetts and on Cape Cod, received a total of $1.5 million in Rural School Aid grants. The largest award of $246,056, went to the Central Berkshire Regional School District, which serves students from the Berkshire County communities of Becket, Dalton, Hinsdale, Peru, Washington and Windsor and the Hampshire County town of Cummington. Other area school districts that received FY ‘19 Rural School Aid include Farmington River, Savoy, Florida, Hancock, Mount Greylock, Berkshire Hills and Clarksburg.
The Rural School Aid grant program is not funded in the House of Representatives’ FY ‘20 budget. After the Senate budget debate is finished, a conference committee of six House and Senate members will be appointed by leadership to negotiate the terms of the final spending plan, which will be enacted and sent to Gov. Charlie Baker. FY ‘20 begins Monday, July 1, 2019.
