
Beacon Hill Democrats pack surtax spending bill with millions for hyper-local projects
Massachusetts lawmakers were in the process of sending a nearly $1.4 billion spending bill to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk Wednesday that is packed with cash for the MBTA, education initiatives, and local projects like a downtown parking garage in the hometown of the House’s top Democrat.
The budget bill uses leftover dollars generated by the state’s voter-approved 4% surtax on incomes over $1 million and marks the first full cycle of the surtax. The tax on high earners has become a lifeline for spending-focused Democrats who are grappling with fiscal uncertainty.
House budget chief Rep. Aaron Michlewitz said lawmakers felt “very comfortable and happy” with the final bill.
“We kind of balance the scale back towards transportation,” the North End Democrat told reporters Monday as a group of six lawmakers tasked with negotiating a compromise between competing House-Senate versions of the bill released their proposal.
The legislation, which cleared each branch earlier this year and emerged from private discussions Monday, shuttles $716 million to transportation projects and $593 million to the education sector.
Democrats who control both the House and Senate also included millions in the spending bill for hyper-local projects, including $25 million for a parking garage in downtown Quincy, the hometown of House Speaker Mariano.
Quincy will also receive $180,000 for public education “capital, equipment, or planning costs,” according to the bill text.
Holbrook, where Mariano represents two precincts, is in line for $40,000 for “education capital, equipment, or planning costs” and another $40,000 for public transportation costs.
Weymouth, where Mariano represents six precincts, will get $300,000 for its public schools to purchase materials “for materials, tools, equipment, technology and educational resources that support teaching, learning and educational development within the Weymouth public schools vocational and career technical education programs,” according to the text of the bill.
The legislation includes $500,000 for Ashland — the hometown of Senate President Karen Spilka — to spend on capital transportation improvements to “increase mobility.”
The bill also has another $400,000 for the towns of Ashland, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway, and Natick — municipalities that make up the entirety of Spilka’s Senate district — to install electric vehicle charging stations.
Natick is in line for $75,000 to “increase mobility and commuter rail connectivity,” and Holliston will get $50,000 for their Council on Aging to address senior transportation capital improvements.
The bill hands the MBTA $535 million for improvements and transportation infrastructure upgrades, including $300 million to replenish the agency’s budget reserve and $175 million for workforce and safety improvements recommended by the Federal Transit Administration.
Michlewitz said the money set aside for the MBTA is “sufficient for now, but certainly we’ll continue this conversation.” The agency is facing massive budget gaps if it does not receive desperately needed state aid.
“This is a significant number for us to be moving forward, and I think we’re very happy with
It,” he said of the cash for the MBTA.
Democrats also agreed to include $103 million for cities and towns to maintain local roads and bridges, take care of municipally-owned small bridges and culverts, and $7 million for improving unpaved roads.
Lawmakers set aside $248 million for special education costs, $115 million for deferred maintenance in public higher education, and $100 million to expand capacity and accommodate additional career technical education school opportunities.
The spending bill also has $45 million for early education and care sector workforce improvements and $25 million for “high dosage tutoring” to accelerate literacy growth for students in kindergarten through third grade.
Negotiators agreed to pack in $5 million for transportation improvements associated with the upcoming 2026 World Cup, one of the first tranches of cash to be set aside for what is set to be a massive influx of soccer fans and tourists to the Boston area.