Revenue gain could lead Mass. to restore some cuts
Massachusetts lawmakers seek to restore local aid cuts after tax revenues rebound
BOSTON (AP) -- Five months after ordering across-the-board spending reductions, improved revenue collections have Gov. Deval Patrick's administration considering whether to now restore some of those cuts.
A group of mostly Republican lawmakers has sent a letter to Patrick, specifically urging him to reverse cuts that hit local aid programs for cities and towns.
The letter says communities around the state have been negatively impacted by the cuts, which the governor ordered in December after lower than expected tax collections in the first five months of the fiscal year.
At the time, officials were projecting a $540 million budget gap.
Since Patrick's order, however, revenues have rebounded and now stand $510 million above the state's year-to-date benchmark.
The current fiscal year ends July 1.
