Return of state aid would help Chicopee

Date: 7/20/2011

July 20, 2011

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor

CHICOPEE — Mayor Michael Bissonnette said the restoration to cities and towns of the 7 percent of local aid that had originally been cut would mean Chicopee will be able to reach level funding from last year for its new budget.

Chicopee could see an unexpected $700,000, he said.

Bissonnette told Reminder Publications the additional funding came about due to an amendment on the last day of the state budget process. An amendment came up in the House that would allow any state surplus to be used to restore local aid. The mayor said he asked State. Sen. Michael Knapik to advocate for the provision in the Senate and it became law.

He praised Knapik and Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray for their support of the measure.

Bissonnette said Chicopee was facing, like many other communities, increased costs due to snow removal this past winter. Local aid from the state has been cut for the past three years, he added and communities are now responsible for the funding of the Quinn Bill, which reimburses police officers for education.

Over that period, Chicopee has had to use $6 million from its stabilization fund to bridge the gap caused by the state cuts. It currently has $8 million in the “rainy day” account.

The new funding would come to cities and towns during the second quarter of fiscal year 2012, he said.

The city has benefited from having increased funding for its schools over the past several years, which has prevented the necessity of allocating more funds for schools from the city’s side of the budget, Bissonnette explained.

He would like to see the $700,000 used to restore the two positions in his office cut by the City Council as well as restore the city solicitor to a full time schedule and salary. He would then recommend using $500,000 against the city’s tax levy.

The finance committee of the City Council is meeting at 6:30 p.m. July 26 to consider bringing back the full time schedule and salary to the city solicitor position.

“In light of the [$700,000] change, I hope they would reconsider,” Bissonnette said.

Bissonnette has not yet heard any reaction from the seven councilors he has asserted violated the Open Meeting Law concerning a discussion of budget cuts. He said he intends to forward his complaint to Attorney General Martha Coakley for investigation.