Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, in her first State of the Commonwealth address, announced she will not pursue tax or fee increases this year despite proposing a series of spending increases. Ahead of her fiscal 2025 budget plan, with state tax collections on the decline, she revealed plans to increase state aid to cities and towns and to authorize them to raise taxes on hotel stays and meals by up to 33 percent. This legislative move aims to strengthen local budgets without imposing new state-level taxes. Concurrently, the MBTA is facing a looming fiscal crisis, with a potential $652 million budget gap in the next fiscal year as pandemic relief funds dry up, putting it on track for enormous deficits. To address climate change impacts, Governor Healey proposed a permanent disaster relief resiliency fund to assist communities in recovering from natural disasters. Additionally, she has proposed a program for the MBTA that would offer half-priced tickets and passes to low-income riders, fulfilling a campaign promise.
A proposed MBTA program would provide half-priced tickets and passes to low-income riders across the beleaguered network, making good on a pledge Gov. Maura Healey made during her first State of the Commonwealth address. https://t.co/9VgN7rSR4Q
Governor Maura Healey acknowledged in her annual State of the Commonwealth address the reality of a changing climate and proposed a permanent disaster relief resiliency fund to help communities recover from natural disasters such as floods and storms https://t.co/dAUyDjTT0i
The MBTA’s budget gap could grow to $652 million in the next fiscal year, when pandemic relief funds that have been helping the agency offset its significant loss in fare revenue and high cost of federally-mandated safety fixes run out. https://t.co/fZsFtyweZW
Governor Maura Healey unveiled legislation Friday that would allow towns and cities to raise taxes on hotel stays and meals by as much as 33 percent in a bid to bolster their local budgets. https://t.co/mydRvMLWdb
'We now stare at the fiscal cliff': MBTA on track for enormous deficits | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/IMamQMMFgh
Days before unveiling her fiscal 2025 budget plan and with state tax collections weakening, Gov. Maura Healey unveiled her plans to boost state aid to cities and towns and give municipalities the ability to raise certain taxes. https://t.co/iCsN3Jw29R
Governor Maura Healey said Thursday she will not pursue any tax or fee increases this year to help pay for a series of proposed spending increases she unveiled during her first State of the Commonwealth address. https://t.co/jNYyvIAyac