Communities cope with Chapter 90 cutsDate: 6/28/2013 By Carley Dangona
carley@thereminder.com
After Gov. Deval Patrick cut Chapter 90 funding in half, communities across the Commonwealth are being forced to downsize the number of improvement projects scheduled to reinforce the infrastructure.
Chapter 90 funding provides the cities and towns of Massachusetts with money to support infrastructure improvement projects such as road paving and bridge rehabilitation. Communities in the 2nd Hampden and Hampshire District were to benefit from an increase in Chapter 90 funding upon the passage of Bill H.3379. Patrick signed the bill May 24, releasing only $150 million — of the requested $300 million — for fiscal year 2014 (FY14), pending the outcome of the Transportation Finance Bill.
"Earlier today, the Patrick Administration issued updated Chapter 90 notices to cities and towns, stating that once the Legislature passes the 'terms bill' the Administration will release only $150 million in funding for local roads in FY14, in spite of the fact that Patrick signed the Legislature's $300 million Chapter 90 bond bill one week ago. Remarkably, the Administration is reducing the Chapter 90 authorization by $50 million, even though the Legislature voted unanimously to increase the program by $100 million," according to the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA).
The increased funds would have resulted in the following Chapter 90 allocations: $1.23 million for Agawam, $548,000 for Southwick, $1.31 million for West Springfield and $1.83 million for Westfield.
Mayor Richard Cohen received the updated letter stating that Agawam would now receive $615,800 in Chapter 90 funds for FY14. "We now have to go back and prioritize our list [of projects] to do what we can afford. We rely on Chapter 90 funding to complete our infrastructure improvements."
In the updated award letter, Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Richard Davey wrote, "Unfortunately, the House and Senate have proposed a one-year authorization pending the outcome of the transportation finance debate. The administration continues to work with the Legislature on transportation financing, but it is clear that we will need to make hard choices about where to devote available resources.
"Given the high level of uncertainty regarding revenues for transportation investment, it is not possible to meet the Legislature's authorization of $300 million in Chapter 90 funding for FY14 at this time. To do so would require irresponsible cuts in capital spending in other high priority budget areas such as critical safety projects, measure to cut congestion and support for public transit," he continued.
Karl Stinehart, chief administrative officer for Southwick, said, "We're very hopeful that something will be worked out over the summer. Chapter 90 funds are used to make improvements to roads, culverts and bridges. It keeps transportation running. The funding promotes economic development by enabling employees to commute to work, it supports public safety by providing emergency vehicles safe pathways to travel and it supports schools by sustaining bus routes."
He noted that the upcoming U.S. Route 168 project would not be affected by the decrease because the construction will be paid for by the state since the town paid for the design phase of the project by utilizing Chapter 90 funding in previous years. Stinehart estimated that Southwick would be receiving only $270,000 in funding.
On June 7, state Sen s. Michael Knapik, Bruce Tarr, Robert Hedlund and Richard Ross sent a letter to Patrick asking for his reconsideration of the cuts.
The letter stated, "We firmly believe that a 25 percent cut to road and bridge construction projects is both unnecessary and imprudent. The spring construction season is already well underway, and municipalities are counting on the timely release of this funding to begin and complete important road and bridge projects. Your conditional release of only half of the funds not only puts our communities in an untenable position of choosing what projects to fund and whether to build half a bridge in the hopes that you will authorize the full amount, but it further delays projects that need to begin if they are to be completed this season.
"We certainly hope that the withholding of half the Chapter 90 funding is not attributable to an effort to expand upon the tax increases contained in transportation finance bills approved by the House and the Senate. Clearly any further increase in taxation is beyond the scope of what the Legislature has approved and is in the realm of what the Legislature has overwhelmingly rejected.
"The timing of events demonstrates that no tax increase had been approved when you signed the Chapter 90 bill into law, and the release of those funds should not now be contingent upon a tax increase. Moreover, while we believe the tax increases that have been approved will have serious adverse impacts to the Commonwealth, it is clear that additional increases will imperil us even greater.
"Each branch of the Legislature has passed a transportation financing proposal that raises over $500 million in new tax revenue. That proposal is the only viable plan that the Legislature has endorsed, and any new revenues now approved by the Legislature could be applied to even further address the cost of the Chapter 90 program, the letter concluded."
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