Page 4 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, MAy 6, 2022 McGonagle, House pass FY23 Budget, make targeted investments to support families R epresentative Joseph McGonagle, along with his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, recently passed the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) budget. This budget responsibly responds to the needs of residents and makes targeted investments to support the Commonwealth’s families. Funded at $49.73 billion, the House’s FY23 budget continues its strong commitment to cities and towns, and it includes significant investments in health care, education, housing and workforce development, among other priorities. Everett will receive $100,000 for substance abuse counselors, $100,000 for a first-time homebuyers program and $100,000 for the construction of a boathouse on the Malden River. “The House budget responds to the economic challenges currently facing Massachusetts residents by balancing a focus on immediate needs such as workforce development, with a focus on long-term investments that are designed to grow our economy in a sustainable way,” said House Speaker Ronald Mariano. “I want to thank Chairman Michlewitz for his indispensable guidance, as well as the Committee on Ways and Means and my colleagues in the House for their tireless hard work.” Mariano and the House Ways and Means Committee introduced their FY23 budget on April 13, following a review of the Governor’s proposal and a series of budget hearings. After three days of debate and over a thousand proposed amendments, the budget passed the House of Representatives 155-0, and it now goes to the Senate for their consideration. “I am thrilled with how we did this year in the budget, both specifically in Everett and across the Commonwealth,” said McGonagle. “In collaboration with the City, we determined three projects we’d like to get funding for in the coming year. Each of these address concerns of different groups that make up our awesome community. As always, I am grateful to Speaker Mariano, Chair Michlewitz and the rest of my colleagues for working together to pass funding for critical issues in Massachusetts. I look forward to continuing to represent Everett and bringing our neighbors the care they deserve.” “This budget builds off the successes of the last few years and prioritizes our residents,” said Representative Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston), who is Chairperson of the House Committee on Ways and Means. “By reinvesting in the people of the Commonwealth we will continue to assist those recovering from this pandemic while making our economy stronger and more Everett Aluminum 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Owned & operated by the Conti family since 1958 • 57 Years! family since 1958 • 64 “Same name, phone number & address for over half a century. We must be doing something right!” •Vinyl Siding •Free Estimates •Carpentry Work •Fully Licensed •Decks •Roof ng • Fully Insured • Replacement Windows www.everettaluminum.com Now’s the time to schedule those home improvement projects you’ve been dreaming about all winter! ommendations issued by the Special Legislative Early Education and Care Economic Review Commission, the budget includes language requiring the Department of Early Education and Care to base reimbursement on enrollment rather than attendance. EEC funding initiatives include: • $16.5M for Head Start grants • $15M for child care resource and referral agencies • $10M for EEC higher eduJoseph McGonagle State Representative equitable for years to come. I want to thank Speaker Mariano for his leadership during this budget process, as well as my Vice-Chair Ann-Margaret Ferrante, and the entire membership for their thoughts and guidance over the last few months to make this a more successful and well-rounded budget.” The House FY23 budget expands services without raising taxes and is made possible due to strong revenue collections and increased federal reimbursement. Due to responsible financial leadership, the state’s Stabilization Fund is estimated to stand at $6.55 billion. Education The FY23 House budget includes an unprecedented $912M to fund early education and care (EEC). Continuing its longstanding commitment to invest in the workforce, the budget includes a $70M in rate increases for subsidized child care providers across the Commonwealth, representing a $50M increase over FY22. It also includes a new initiative funded at $10M to pay for child care for early educators. Following the reccation provider opportunities • $5M to provide additional navigation support and outreach to families • $3M for early childhood mental health grants • $1M for Neighborhood Villages to provide bilingual workforce training, instructional coaching and COVID-19 testing The FY23 House budget funds Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) at $1.199 billion and Chapter 70 education funding at $5.988 billion, representing a $494M increase over the FY22 budget and fully funding the second year of a six-year implementation plan of the Student Opportunity Act (SOA), which was enacted in 2019 to support equitable funding for our most vulnerable students. The budget also provides $110M for a year-long extension of universal school meals, providing immediate relief to families by saving them up to $1,200 every year from reduced grocery expenditures, according to the Feed Kids Coalition. Additional education funding allocations include: • $440M for Special Education Circuit Breaker • $243M for charter school aid – fully funding charter school reimbursement FY23 BUDGET | SEE PAGE 6 Spring is Here!
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