Barrett Says Constituents Largely Support Guv's Tax Proposal

Of those who have reached out to state Sen Mike Barrett, the Lexington Dem says 315 constituents support raising new revenue to invest in transportation and education, while 42 have written or called against any tax increase.

How the Governor's Budget Proposal Would Affect Concord

The new budget would see a small increase in local aid to Concord.

  Last Wednesday, Governor Patrick submitted his $34.8 billion budget to the Legislature. The proposed income tax hike is part of a comprehensive package aimed at investing in the state's infrastructure and in driving growth, Patrick said. Take a look at how the numbers affect Concord: FY 2013 Cherry Sheet Estimate  FY 2014  Gov. budget ($) 2,075,197 3,155,701 1,080,504 2,111,759   3,180,486 1,068,727 981,239 1,633,158 1,699,148 35,990 Both education aid and general government aid would increase for fiscal 2014 over FY13. Education aid saw a total increase of $1,068,727 for FY14, while the Chapter 70 education aid boost is even greater than that, at $1,080,504. Meanwhile, general government aid for Concord would sa increase of $35,990 over…

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Patrick Files $34.8 Billion Budget Proposal Wednesday

The plan focuses on investments in transportation and education while calling for an income tax increase coupled with a lower sales tax.

In submitting his $34.8 billion budget to the Legislature Wednesday, Gov. Deval Patrick said the proposed income tax hike is part of a comprehensive package aimed at investing in the state's infrastructure and in driving growth. The proposal asks for an increase in the income tax from 5.25 percent to 6.25 percent coupled with a reduction in the sales tax from 6.25 percent to 4.5 percent. It also doubles personal exemptions.  Despite the proposed income tax hike, Patrick says that low and modest-income workers will pay less in taxes under his proposal, and only the "more fortunate see a larger increase." "I do not submit this proposal lightly. I understand that many households in Massachusetts continue to struggle from the impact of the …

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Five Things to Know About Next Year's Proposed State Budget

The bill increases public aid while not raising taxes.

  The House and Senate overwhelming passed a $32.5 billion budget last week and Gov. Deval Patrick has until July 8 to review and sign it, or to issue vetoes.  The thrust of the bill is to shore up aid to public programs while at the same time not increasing the burden to taxpayers. Overall, the 2013 budget is about 3 percent higher than this year's, but considerably tighter than previous recent years. Here are some of the bill's highlights:  1. It includes no new taxes or fees. Instead, $516 million will be taken from existing funds, including $350 million from the state's rainy day fund, leaving it over a billion dollars in the black. Still, that's down from the $2.2 billion it had in 2008.  2. It tightens welfare. The bill would limit …

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