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Date: 4/4/2023
BELCHERTOWN — State Sen. Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow) met with the Select Board at its March 27 meeting to let them know that help may be on the way in terms of funding.
“Belchertown is kind of in a unique situation because it is where rural Western Massachusetts meets suburbia and we going to be pursuing a lot of rural aid this session that could help Belchertown because there are a lot of rural features the town still includes like help for our schools but also for our roads and bridges,” Oliveira said.
Some of the topics discussed at various Select Board meetings is fixing the town infrastructure and improving economic development.
Oliveira said Town Administrator Gary Brougham has been a huge help in requesting and securing funds for town projects including $55,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the sensory trail at Lake Wallace and $50,000 in ARPA funds for wayfinding and branding efforts in town.
Brougham has also assisted in securing funds to help with the contaminated water at the Sports Haven Mobile Home Park at 370 Mill Valley Rd.
Oliveira said there will be some bond funding that he can help Belchertown to use on the redesign of North Main and Main streets or paving the state beach.
Chapter 70 and Chapter 90 funds were two big discussion points.
The Chapter 70 program is state aid to public elementary and secondary schools and the Chapter 90 program funds are for capital improvement such as highway construction, preservation and improvement projects.
Oliveira said, “Chapter 70 aid, which was reworked after the Foundation Budget Review Commission met about five years ago, developed a plan to help out our neediest of school districts like Springfield, Chicopee and Holyoke, which were chronically underfunded because their high rates of low-income students and high rates of special need students, they were consistently disadvantaged.”
The School Committee has met with the Select Board and Finance Committee to discuss their fiscal year 2024 budget and their biggest increases came from fixed costs like oil and electricity.
Governor Maura Healey’s local aid proposal for this year would add approximately $14.5 million to Belchertown schools but that is only a $64,560 increase over the previous fiscal year.
Oliveira added, “There were those who benefited greatly from that formula and those communities who didn’t benefit from that formula as much. Places like Ludlow, Belchertown and a lot of suburban school districts.”
Once the implementation of the Student Opportunity Act runs it course, Oliveira added he does not want the legislation to fall into the trend of “waiting 25 years of reopening that funding formula.”
Oliveira said, “My goal is to advocate on behalf of communities like Ludlow and Belchertown who did not see the larger share of percentage increases as those school districts who did because costs are rising.”
When it comes to Chapter 90 funds, Belchertown receives around $630,000 in total out of the $200 million bill, which according to everyone involved, is not enough money to fix what is needed.
Oliveira added there is a Chapter 90 bill in the Senate, that was already passed in the House, that includes $200 million but takes into account people like him and other people from Western Massachusetts who have been advocating for less densely populated communities and communities who don’t have as high rates of employment that impact the funding for it.
“That is certainly not enough to keep pace with the rising costs we are seeing for construction and road projects, “Oliveira said, “We are creating a new pot of funds within the bill for low density communities so that they can access greater dollars in road and bridge funding to help out with that rising cost and how communities like Belchertown are disadvantaged by the current funding formula,” Oliveira said.
Select Board member Peg Louraine added, “You mentioned less densely populated towns. I have heard repeatedly that we are considered a wealthy community and don’t qualify for some community aid and there is something wrong with that formula. We have so many miles of roads that require care and need that help.”
The bill would also add an additional $25 to $50 million for culverts according to Oliveira and should help Belchertown because they have a lot of streams and waterways they rely on.
Looking ahead to the fiscal year 2024 budget, Oliveira said there is surplus FY22 and FY23 money left over that will be put towards an economic development bill as well.
Oliveira added, “We are anticipating about $2.5 billion that will be likely put towards an economic development bill to help with certain items. Looking at the FY24 budget, yes revenues have been up the last few budget cycles but the real key when looking at a fiscal year is not just looking at first quarter.”