Overview:
State Sen. Jo Comerford and Rep. Susannah Whipps discussed the impact of federal cuts on Massachusetts' $61 billion budget during a meeting with the Selectboard. Lawmakers had to make difficult decisions about which programs to cut, including Medicaid, SNAP, and food security. The final budget was based on projected federal cuts and included funding for transportation, housing development, and education. However, the current fiscal situation has led to a freeze on earmarks for specific projects, and the state continues to borrow to fund projects.
ATHOL – State Sen. Jo Comerford and Rep. Susannah Whipps met with the Selectboard on Oct. 7 to provide an overview of the state’s $61 billion budget, as well as the impact of federal cuts on the next fiscal year.
“It’s important to note that from the time the governor filed the budget in January, to when we sent her the compromise budget, it was a billion dollars less,” Comerford said. “That billion dollars came out of programs we care about.”
Comerford said the final budget was based on a number of factors, “including what was happening in Washington and projected cuts to programs like Medicaid – MassHealth – and programs like SNAP (federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and some of the food security money that we’re going to have to fill in. And that was a very difficult conversation about what we were going to cut.”
Despite the cuts, said Comerford, lawmakers worked to “make communities whole.”
The senator added that cuts in federal funding to Massachusetts is impacting farmers, nonprofits, Medicaid, research projects and other programs.
“It’s like budgeting over a volcano,” she said. “We can’t sell it any other way.”
While the state budget amounts to $61 billion, earmarks for specific projects have been frozen because of the current fiscal situation, she added.
The Legislature does continue to borrow, Comerford continued, in order to fund projects related to transportation, housing development and education.
“Recently, we just funded $234 million for hospitals, especially safety net hospitals, and community health centers, and that was really important for this region,” said Comerford. “We have Heywood, which is a lifeline, as is Athol Hospital, and we have the Community Health Center of Franklin County and the North Quabbin. Those institutions – plus Bay State Franklin – got money.
“But when you imagine the potential for real Medicaid cuts, and we don’t know what’s going to happen,” the senator added. “Our federal government is shut down, and this is part of the conversation they’re having. There’s a real concern.”
Comerford also noted that constructing the FY27 budget will pose additional challenges “because we just learned we’ll be down $650 million in revenue as a result of the federal bill [enacted earlier this year]. So, there is spending being taken back, and there is less revenue.”
Whipps pointed to initiatives like the greening of Lord Pond Plaza and Five Points improvement project as examples of what can be accomplished through the investment of the resources available.
“You all are responsible with all of the dollars that come your way so that you get your money’s worth,” Whipps told the board. “And I know that’s because everybody is rowing in the same direction, which is really great to see.
“We’ll get through this budget time,” she added. “We’ve had tough times before. We’ve had some tough, tough times here, but we got through them. We have peaks and valleys, and we may be entering a valley, but we’ll come out of it.”
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.