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| 麻州州長Maura Healey強調2025年度預算平衡、負責。 (周菊子攝) |
(Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓綜合報導) 麻州州長奚莉 (Maura Healey) 在1月24日率麻州部會首長宣佈，2025會計年度預算561億元，比2024會計年度增加2.9%，增幅小於通貨膨脹率。她強調這預算案既平衡，負責任，還有前瞻性，將使麻州更可負擔，人民生活品質得到改善。
由於定名眾議院2號的這份預算案，預估本年度稅收約402億元，比2024會計年度的預期為低，麻州政府建議動用各種綜合資源來確保預算的平衡，負責任。
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| 麻州州長Maura Healey率各部會首長發表2025會計年度預算案。前左一為， 經濟發展廳廳長郝伊平 (Yvonne Hao)。(周菊子攝) |
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| 麻州州長Maura Healey率部會首長宣佈2025會計年度預算。 (周菊子攝) |
奚莉州長承諾要提議給麻州地鐵加倍的營運援助，約1億2700萬元。麻州政府還將動用來自附加稅的收入來支持11億元的交通項目貸款能力，包括在2025會計年度內以3億元債券來修軌道，消滅慢速區，8億元用來在未來5年操辦各項工程。
奚莉政府也提議未來2年撥4億元的第90章 (Chapter 90) 經費，給地方市鎮的無限制政府總補助增加3%，第70章的公眾教育經費增加4%。
另外撥款3億2500萬元支持緊急援助庇護系統，約可造福4100個家庭。麻州政府早前向議會遞交報告，估計今年需要9億元來應付這方面的開銷。
這份年度預算將維持4億7500萬元的「麻州關愛兒童
(Commonwealth Cares for Children ，簡稱C3)」補助，支持所有學生享有學校所提供餐食，以2400萬元來繼續辦理「麻州重新連接
(MassReconnect)」計畫，為25歲以上，無大學文憑者，提供免費進社區學院上學的機會，也維持把1%的政府開支保留給能源及環境事務廳。
這份預算案也提議新設一個「救災及抗災基金 (Disaster Relief and Resiliency Fund)」，以其麻州能更快因應例如去年遭遇到的大淹水等天然災害。這筆經費將以年度資本利得餘額的10%為上限。
Governor
Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll File $56.1 Billion Fiscal Year
2025 Budget
Balanced,
responsible, and forward-looking spending plan aims to make Massachusetts more
affordable and improve quality of life through education, infrastructure and
housing investments
Governor
also filed an Executive Order creating a Transportation Funding Task
Force to make recommendations for a long-term, sustainable transportation
finance plan
BOSTON – The
Healey-Driscoll Administration today filed its Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25)
budget recommendation, a $56.1 billion plan that responsibly controls spending growth
while investing in education, infrastructure and housing to make
Massachusetts more affordable and improve quality of life.
“Our Fiscal Year 2025 budget
proposal is balanced, responsible and forward-looking. It protects taxpayer
dollars while also making crucial investments to lower costs for people and
improve quality of life,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Together, we
can make child care more affordable and accessible for families, ensure
every student is receiving a high-quality education, and improve our public
transportation, roads and bridges. We thank the Legislature for their
consideration of our proposal and look forward to our partnership throughout
the budget process.”
“As a former mayor, and someone who
has traveled around the state listening to our local officials, I’m proud of
the way that this budget proposal responds to local needs,” said Lieutenant
Governor Kim Driscoll. “We’re fully funding the Student
Opportunity Act to make sure our K-12 schools have equitable access to the
resources their students and educators need. We’re also increasing the
amount of local aid going to cities and towns and boosting Chapter 90
funding to improve roads and bridges, particularly in rural
communities.”
This budget, filed as House 2,
fully funds the fourth year of the Student Opportunity Act, increases local
aid, and pays for the next phase in of the historic tax cuts enacted
last year that will begin delivering savings to Massachusetts residents this
Spring.
Additionally, the budget proposes
to invest $1.3 billion in revenue generated by the
voter-approved Fair Share surtax to support transformative
investments in education and transportation. These include the
administration’s new Gateway to Pre-K initiative,
which puts Massachusetts on the path to universal Pre-K access
in Gateway Cities by 2026 and would expand child care financial
assistance to thousands more families. It also includes the new Literacy Launch
program,
a transformative plan to improve early literacy education and ensure students
receive the highest quality, evidence-based reading instruction
available.
The administration also
proposed utilizing Fair Share funds to increase funding for
roads and bridges, including dedicated road aid for rural communities,
implement a low-income fares program at the MBTA, and make a new
investment of $250 million in transportation that will leverage $1.1
billion in borrowing over the next five years to tackle long overdue
deferred maintenance. House 2 also follows through on Governor
Healey’s commitment to propose doubling operating assistance for the
MBTA.
House 2 maintains $475 million
in Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grants,
fully supports universal school meals, continues the MassReconnect program
to provide no-cost community college for students aged 25 and
older, and maintains 1 percent of total spending for the Executive
Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
House 2 also proposes to create a
new Disaster Relief and Resiliency Fund to better set up Massachusetts to
be able to respond quickly to natural disasters, such as the flooding
experienced over the past year. This fund would be capitalized with 10 percent
of annual excess capital gains, in addition to public and/or private sources,
federal grants, settlements, repayments, or reimbursements available for the
purpose of delivering aid.
Transportation Funding Task Force
Alongside this budget, Governor
Healey signed an executive order to create a new Transportation Funding
Task Force. This Task Force will be composed of public and private-sector
leaders, representing communities of all sizes across Massachusetts, that
will spend the next 12 months examining the state’s transportation
system and developing recommendations for a long-term, sustainable
transportation finance plan that can support safely and reliably support road,
rail and transit systems throughout our state.
Supplemental Budget
Governor Healey also
filed alongside House 2 a supplemental budget to cover known
deficiencies in the emergency assistance shelter system for FY24 and
exposures in FY25. The legislation will be consistent with the blueprint
already published proposing to move the balance of the Transitional Escrow
Fund to a new fund that can be used to support housing development, as
well as shelter costs for the current fiscal year and into FY25.
House 2 Overview
House 2 proposes
$56.1 billion in gross spending, excluding Fair Share surtax and
Medical Assistance Trust Fund spending, which represents 2.9 percent
spending growth over the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) General Appropriations Act.
This growth rate is below the current rate of inflation, based on the Consumer
Price Index, and recognizes that the consensus revenue estimate of $40.2
billion was essentially flat from projections used to build the FY24
budget.
Additionally, this budget
proposes to spend $1.3 billion from the Fair Share surtax on transportation and
education in accordance with the consensus revenue estimate developed
with legislative leaders and in keeping with the transparent mechanism
establish in FY24 to track surtax spending.
In light of flat tax
revenues, the House 2 recommendation utilizes a thoughtful
combination of funding sources to ensure a responsibly balanced budget.
Importantly, this budget does not raise broad-based taxes
or utilize any funding from the Stabilization
Fund balance, which has grown to a record high of over $8
billion and would continue to grow under House 2.
The consensus revenue estimate
assumes $2 billion in total capital gains revenue. This
blueprint allows for a portion of capital gains tax revenues above
the statutory threshold, not to exceed $375 million, to be
retained as a last resort to balance the budget and sustain essential
programs.
In short, this budget continues
needed investments in housing, education, transportation and healthcare,
while being fiscally responsible in light of reduced revenue growth.
Spending is also supported by several
one-time and new recurring resources, including a proposal to move
the Lottery online and a tax amnesty program to help make sure Massachusetts
can collect the taxes it’s owed.
The recommendation proposes to
continue to use excess capital gains to build the Stabilization Fund balance,
address pension and other post-employment benefit liabilities, and fund a
new Disaster and Resiliency Trust Fund. The budget recommendation
maintains the state’s commitment to fully fund its pension liability by
2036 with $4.5 billion in FY25, a $395 million increase over the FY24
contribution. Projected sales tax revenues will enable a $1.5 billion
transfer to support the operations of the MBTA and $1.3 billion will be
transferred to the Massachusetts School Building Authority to support school
construction across the state. The budget also commits $27 million for the
Workforce Training Fund to support the state’s workforce, competitiveness, and
engine for growth.
“Recognizing our tightening fiscal
environment, this budget responsibly controls spending and limits growths
without jeopardizing the progress and impact we’ve been able to make over the
past year working to make our education systems, tax code and housing more
affordable for the people of Massachusetts,” said Secretary of
Administration and Finance Matthew J. Gorzkowicz. “We have been able
identify and invest in critical areas like child care and public transit
while also putting the state on a path toward sustainability.”
Fair Share
For just the second year, House 2
proposes to use revenue generated from the 4 percent Fair Share surtax on income
above $1 million to invest in education and transportation. The FY25 House
2 budget recommends $1.3 billion for programs ranging from financial aid for
public higher education to implementing low-income fares at the MBTA – all
focused on transformative investments for improving affordability, equity, and
competitiveness across the state.
House 2 recommends the following investments across the two priorities:
Notably, in education, House 2
proposes to use $150 million to supplement spending in the operating
budget to maintain $475 million for C3 grants to support and
stabilize the early education and care system. Another $21 million for the Commonwealth
Preschool Partnership Program will enable a $38.6 million total FY25 investment
to put the state on a path to universal Pre-K starting with all Gateway Cities
by 2026. Fair Share funds will also support $30 million for
Literacy Launch to promote quality reading instruction for young learners
and $75 million to expand access to child care financial
assistance for families up to 85 percent of the state median income.
In transportation, a new investment
of $250 million in the Commonwealth Transportation Fund will increase the
borrowing capacity of the CTF by $1.1 billion over the next five year enabling
the advancement of major infrastructure projects around the state. Fair Share
spending will also support $124 million in supplemental Chapter 90
spending to cities and towns to support maintenance of local roads and
sidewalks, including $24 million dedicated directly to rural communities.
Another $45 million would enable the MBTA to implement a low-income fare
relief system wide, and $15 million would go to support fare equity at Regional
Transit Authorities.
Local Aid
The Healey-Driscoll Administration
recognizes that the partnership between the state and its cities and towns is
pivotal to building the communities in which people want to live, work, play,
and stay.
The Fiscal Year 2025 budget
proposal fully funds the fourth-year implementation of the SOA, dedicating
$6.86 billion to Chapter 70 education aid. This is a $271 million, or 4 percent
increase, over FY24. House 2 would guarantee a minimum aid increase of $30
per pupil.
House 2 also proposes to fund
Unrestricted General Government Aid at $1.3 billion, a $38 million, or 3
percent, increase over Fiscal Year 2024, and fully funds the Special
Education Circuit Breaker at $492.2 million. When combined with $75 million of
supplemental funding from the Fiscal Year 2023 close-out budget that will be
available across Fiscal Year 2024 and Fiscal Year 2025, $567 million in total
Special Education Circuit Breaker funding would be available to meet all
projected district claims and this reflects the full phase-in of
out-of-district transportation cost reimbursement provided for in the SOA.
This budget also recommends an
increase of $2.4 million, or 2 percent over Fiscal Year 2024, for regional
school transportation reimbursements. Overall, Local Aid to cities and towns
totals $8.7 billion, a $269.4 million, or 3 percent, increase, over Fiscal Year
2024.
Education
Early Education and Care
· $475
million for Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grants to providers to
stabilize the early education and care system
· $20 million
for provider rate increases above sustained FY24 increase
· $38.6
million for the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative
· $5
million for early childhood mental health supports, with an
additional $5 million in Fair Share to be utilized across the
Executive Office of Education
· $10
million for career pathways program for early educators
Higher Education
·
$80 million to sustain the expansion of MASSGrant Plus and
maintain FY24 financial aid expansion
·
Covers tuition, fees, books, and supply costs for Pell
Grant-eligible students and reduces out-of-pocket expenses for middle-income
students ($73 K to $100 K AGI) by up to half
·
$24 million for MassReconnect, an increase of $4 million
·
$24.9 million for mental health supports
·
$8.8 million for foster care financial aid and fee waiver programs
to support over 1,400 Department of Children and Families eligible students
attending private and public campuses
·
$14 million for the Community College SUCCESS fund
·
$125 million in Fair Share funding to support capital improvements
across campuses, including lab and instructional facilities, infrastructure
modernization, decarbonization, and critical repairs
Transportation
MassDOT
·
$588 million for MassDOT operations including Highway, RMV, Rail
and Transit, and Aeronautics
·
$56 million for safety, service and sustainability programs
MBTA
·
$314 million in direct operating support, doubling the $127
million in direct operating support in FY24 and maintaining $60 million
for pay-go capital; This is in addition to $1.5 billion in projected sales
tax revenue transfer
·
$45 million for the FY25 implementation of Low Income Fare
Relief
Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs)
· $94 million
for RTA base funding
· $75 million
in Fair Share funds to support operational improvements and expand access,
including:
o
$56 million for regional transit funding and grants
o
$15 million for RTA fare equity programs
o
$4 million for grants to expand mobility options
Economic Development
· $7.5
million for Small Business Technical Assistance Grants
· Launches a
new Entrepreneur-In-Residence Program to help keep international graduates of
Massachusetts colleges and universities in the state upon graduation
· Builds a
Reciprocity Ombudsperson Unit at the Division of Occupational Licensure to
guide those seeking licensure from other jurisdictions through the process
in Massachusetts
· Creates
technical assistance support for the Business Front Door, which aims to
transform the way businesses interact with state government
· Funds
capacity at the executive office to take the lead on priorities such as
siting and permitting, technical assistance for businesses, and
“Climatech”
· $10 million
for the Massachusetts Life Science Center (MLSC)
· $8.5
million for initiatives at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to
support workforce, manufacturing, cybersecurity, and the innovation
economy
Housing and Homelessness
· $219
million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP), a 22 percent
increase, to support over 10,000 voucher holders by the end of FY25
· $112
million for subsidies for Local Housing Authorities, including an increase for
local tenant organizations to match the federal rate ($25/unit)
· $16.5
million for the Rental Subsidy Program for DMH clients, which will preserve 220
additional rental vouchers created in FY24
· $197.4
million for Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT),
preserving a maximum benefit of $7,000 over 12 months
· $57.3
million for HomeBASE, maintaining a benefit level of $45,000 over 36
months to connect EA-eligible families with more permanent housing
opportunities
· $3
million for Housing Assistance for Re-Entry Transition, providing
transitional housing and rental vouchers to support adults exiting
incarceration
· $325
million for Emergency Assistance Family Shelter (EA) program, with remaining
need to be funded through accompanying supplemental budget
Climate and Environment
For the second year in a row, the
Healey-Driscoll administration’s FY25 budget would guarantee that climate and
environmental programing through the Executive Office of Energy and
Environmental Affairs is funded at 1 percent of the overall budget – $572.1
million. This represents a $14.2 million, or 3 percent, increase over
FY24, including $5.6 million to establish new technical
assistance programs for culverts, small bridges, and dams, as well as
funding for a new carbon sequestration program.
·
$25 million to support Food Security Infrastructure Grants
·
$30 million for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center to
support workforce training programs in the clean energy industry, clean
transportation adoption, and an energy retrofit pilot program
·
$4.8 million for a decarbonization clearinghouse (one-stop
shop for energy efficiency, electrification, and storage)
·
$1.7 million for sampling at landfills and water facilities
for PFAS
·
$1.5 million to expand air quality monitoring statewide
·
$1.5 million for climate and drought resilience through the
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Labor and Workforce Development
· $15.7
million for Summer Jobs Program for At-Risk Youth (Youthworks) to subsidize
wages and facilitate career development of at-risk youth between the ages of 14
and 25
· $10.4
million for Career Technical Institutes (CTIs), which aim to close skills
training gaps by expanding access to vocational education, across EOL and
Education
· $10 million
for MassHire Career Centers to provide regional workforce training and employee
placement services across 29 locations
· $3.8
million for the Registered Apprenticeship Program to fund approximately 1,000
placements for registered apprentices in FY25
Health and Human Services
·
$390 million for Chapter 257 provider rate increases
benchmarked to the 53% of BLS salaries and $249.9 million to annualize
FY24 rate increases
·
$112.9 million for collective bargaining increases and $75 M
to support direct care staffing needs shifted from off-budget reserve
·
$90.3 million to support and Turning 22 classes
·
$44.2 million to meet projected need in TAFDC and EAEDC
benefits
·
$17 million increase for behavioral health initiatives
at DMH to expand inpatient and community capacity
·
$10 million for the development of intensive care program models
for high-need youth
·
$5 million for reducing and eliminating copays for
low-income Home Care clients at EOEA
·
$4.9 million for certificate programs, recruitment bonuses, and
expanded access to licensing to expand the CNA workforce
·
$3.1 million for postpartum care services for DCF clients
with substance use disorders
·
$2.5 million to continue new home and community-based service
programs to help DDS clients remain in their homes
·
$2.1 million for youth delinquency prevention through the
Massachusetts Youth Diversion Program (MYDP) at DYS
MassHealth
MassHealth, the Commonwealth’s
Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), provides coverage of
health care and related critical services to over 2 million members, including
over 40 percent of Massachusetts children and over 60 percent of Massachusetts
residents living in nursing facilities. MassHealth maintains affordable,
equitable, comprehensive health care coverage for members.
In Fiscal Year 2025, MassHealth
will continue to ensure access to high-quality services while managing the loss
of ~$1 billion of annual federal revenue during the pandemic and significant
health care cost growth over the past two years.
House 2 recommends $20.3 billion
gross/$8.2 billion net for MassHealth, an increase of $730 million gross/$440
million net above estimated Fiscal Year 2024 spending. These growth figures
assume the implementation of substantial savings initiatives, including
enhanced program integrity efforts, additional federal revenue streams, and
targeted reductions in spending.
Despite these fiscal headwinds, the
budget proposal proposes investments that advance MassHealth’s priorities,
which are: (1) advancing health equity, (2) simplifying member experience and
improving customer service, (3) strengthening behavioral health and primary
care, and (4) promoting member independence.
MassHealth targeted investments to
improve access to care, include:
·
~$70 million in targeted rate investments that address workforce
challenges across community-based nursing and direct care workers.
·
$5 million to improve access to wheelchair repair services.
·
~$60 million in rate investments in behavioral health, primary
care and maternity care
·
$10 million of infrastructure funding for correctional partners in
advance of implementing MassHealth coverage 90 days before release from jail or
prison settings.
Public Safety
·
$35 million to enhance equity and eliminate barriers to
communication through implementing No Cost Calls across all correctional
facilities, including those run by county sheriff departments
·
$16 million in operating budget savings through the closure of MCI
Concord; Incarcerated individuals and staff members transferred to nearby
facilities by July 1, 2024
·
$2 million for the State Police Cadet Program; $10.3 million for
91st State Police Recruit Training Troop.
·
$5.6 million for State Police body-worn cameras for all sworn
Troopers
·
$10.7 million to maintain support for reentry
initiatives across DOC and EPS
·
$2 million to sustain the Safe Neighborhood Initiative
Serving Our Veterans
·
Fully covers the cost of implementing the HERO Act
o
$4.3 million to increase Ch.115 annuity payments from $2,000
to $2,250
o
$1.0 million revenue reduction to waive veteran license plate
fees
·
Maintains support for the Commonwealth’s veterans and makes
critical staffing and infrastructure investments at the Chelsea and Holyoke
Soldiers' Homes
·
Prepares for the opening of new Soldiers' Homes facilities:
Technology and Cybersecurity
·
Creates the Digital Accessibility and Equity Governance Board, and
the position of Chief IT Accessibility Officer (CIAO)
·
$600,000 to support the AskMA mass.gov chatbot
·
$4.2 million for technology modernization and hardware maintenance
contracts
·
$700,000 for advanced threat protection software and other
upgrades
To access the Governor’s filing letter, budget message, budget briefs, and specific account information click here.
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