The first-term Democrat unveiled her $59.6 billion fiscal plan – with an additional $1.95 billion in surtax spending – January 22.
“The core of this budget represents a 2.6% increase over the current fiscal year, which is below the current rate of inflation," said Healey. "We're controlling spending and tightening our belts, just as any other family or business has to do. We're making sure that every dollar is getting the maximum return, the maximum result for the people of Massachusetts and the taxpayers, and we're focusing those investments on things that people depend on, need all over the state- Childcare, education, housing, transportation, human services, and so much more.”
The all-Democratic delegation that represents Western Massachusetts broadly praised the plan while speaking with WAMC, but also offered criticisms.
“Being a housing advocate, I'm looking at the cuts to the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition, which is known as RAFT," said newly sworn-in State Representative Leigh Davis, who won her seat serving the 3rd Berkshire District on Beacon Hill in November. "And this is a lifeline to many families. So, this provides short-term emergency funding to many families that are facing eviction, loss of utilities. So, there are substantial cuts to that RAFT program, which is essentially 50% cut. So, before it was up to $7,000 every year. Now it's $7,000 every two years. So, there are some cuts to the most vulnerable in our community that I'm concerned with, and I'm still making my way through it.”
She’s happy to see Healey’s commitments to funding infrastructure work in the commonwealth.
“What I'm really pleased with is that we see a 50% increase over the next five years to Chapter 90, which helps rural communities deal with infrastructure- So, the roads and bridges and culverts," Davis told WAMC. "So, that's huge.”
One of the governor’s proposals to increase revenues is to remove candy from sales tax exemption.
“To be clear, this isn't about a new tax," said Healey. "What this is doing is simply saying, when you go to the grocery store, instead of having candy treated like a purchase of bread and eggs and milk – you know, essential groceries – that candy is now going to be treated in the same way as when you go to the bakery in the back of the grocery store and pick up cupcakes for your kids. We think that makes sense.”
That leaves State Senator Paul Mark of the largely rural Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire District in a sticky situation.
“People from my district, especially maple producers, have been contacting me about the idea of removing the sales tax exemption for candy could apply to some of the maple products," he told WAMC. "And some of these small farms that use maple to supplement the work that they're doing and keep themselves afloat. Their margins are pretty thin, so, if anything impacts what they're up to, that can be harmful. And in general, I'm not a big fan of increasing sales tax on food, because that's potentially regressive. When I think about taxation, I think about the people that are most able to pay, that I want them to contribute, and people that are kind of just struggling to get by, we don't really want to put the burden on them.”
Like Davis, he’s happy to see rural communities get some love in Healey’s budget.
“I liked in the budget proposal increased funding for education, increased funding for rural school aid," said Mark. "I think she's starting it at $16 million that conversation, and we left off at $16.5 million last year. So hopefully, over the course of the House and Senate budget processes, we can get that maybe closer to $20 million if we're lucky. We'll see what happens in terms of federal funding.”
State Representative John Barrett of the 1st Berkshire District agrees.
“Another program that they're going to be considering too, is the state helping to resurface many of the routes that run through many of the communities in Northern Berkshire, as well as in my district and throughout Berkshire County," he told WAMC. "That's going to be advantageous to and help communities. That that is a good sign. Of course, I think that we also have to realize to the amount of money that the MBTA is receiving, too, that has been earmarked for them, that cuts into a lot of our funding. But it appears as though the governor does understand that we do have problems out here with funding our infrastructure work, so that's a good sign.”
He also has worries about cuts and regional equity in the budget.
“When I see things like the funding of the [Massachusetts Healthy Incentives Program], which was a Health and Senate program, which allowed those in the lower income area to receive decent benefits, it ran out of money in December, and yet it was funded for $15 million the last budget, and this budget, it's only funded for $18 million. That's not going to be enough, and that's a concern to me and I think the others in the Berkshire delegation," Barrett said "I'm also concerned, obviously, about education funding. As far as Northern Berkshire goes, I don't think there's equity as compared to other parts of the state, and even in Berkshire County. Most of my schools are going to receive money of less than $200,000 in additional money. And I look at what's happening in the Pittsfield school system – not to take anything away from them, I'm glad they're getting it – but they're getting $4.4 million in additional funding. So, I think there's a lot of inequity out there as far as education funding goes.”
The budget process now shifts to the legislature, where lawmakers first in the House and then the Senate will hash out their own drafts of the plan before eventually sending a compromise bill back to Healey.
The next fiscal year begins July 1st.
