HOLYOKE – Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito met with Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse yesterday as part of a western Mass. tour, the first since recently inaugurated Governor Charlie Baker issued an executive order to release $100 million in Chapter 90 funding for road and bridge repair to the Bay State’s 351 cities and towns.
Westfield Mayor Daniel M. Knapik said yesterday morning that the city of Westfield will be receiving approximately $600,000 from the administration to be used for a “variety of uses” including “design of some safety upgrades on the Shaker Road rail trail crossing and evaluating pavement management options.”
Polito, a former state Representative from the Worcester suburb of Shrewsbury, also announced yesterday that the Baker administration has created a new Municipal Commonwealth Compact Cabinet.
“It’s a way of telling cities and towns they have a seat at our table, that we value the work of our mayors, managers and elected officials,” said Polito, adding that she is excited to serve as a liaison for the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts, not just Boston.
“You will see our administration spreading out outside the Commonwealth so we can grow jobs region-by-region,” she said. “I will be the champion, the voice and point of contact for our cities and towns for state government.”
Polito stated that a new position – Commissioner of the Division of Local Services – had been created to oversee the Municipal Commonwealth Compact Cabinet.
Polito pledged not to balance the state budget deficit of $765 million “on the backs of Massachusetts cities and towns.”
“We will protect local aid in the rebalancing of the current year,” she said. “The very first action the Governor took when he was sworn into office three weeks ago was releasing Chapter 90 funds to fix bridges, roads and potholes.”
Polito also recited a mantra that Mass. Republicans have long repeating during the administration of former Gov. Deval L. Patrick – that Massachusetts has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.
“The revenue is coming in at 4 percent, but we’re spending 8 percent. You can’t spend more than you have coming in,” she said, declining to say where cuts would be made to balance the budget but again pledging not to touch local aid.
Polito said she looked forward to working with new State Treasurer Deb Goldberg, who will succeed former Treasurer Steve Grossman as the state’s Lottery Commissioner, in exploring how more of the Commonwealth’s lottery revenue – well over $900 million last year – can go back to cities and towns for education and infrastructure repairs.
Some Westfield officials say that the Commonwealth has taken over $700 million out of the lottery fund over the past five years and that the city has lost over $1 million a year in local aid during that timeframe.
“I actually served on the Lottery Commission a while back and as a former local official, I understand that the lottery funds are supposed to go back to cities and towns. It’s their money,” said Polito. “I look to work with the Treasurer to honor that commitment and the purpose of the statute, so they get what they deserve.”
