Chelmsford's Representives Offer Different Views on $500 Million Vote

After ten hours of debate in the House, three of Chelmsford's four State Representatives voted for a $500 million appropriations bill for a bill improving transportation across the state.

Designed to appropriate $500 million, the bill specifies raising the state's gas tax by 3 cents ($110 million), raising the cigarette tax by $1 a pack ($165 million), updating tax codes on "canned software" and computer systems ($161 million) and changing the tax status of utility companies ($83 million).

The bill passed 97-55, short of the two-third majority needed to avoid a promised veto from the Governor, who has offered a plan of lowering the sales tax and raising income taxes to address transportation funding concerns.

Joining 25 other Democrats as well as all of Massachusetts' Republican state representatives, James Arciero was the only Chelmsford representative to vote against the measure.

“I voted against this transportation tax proposal because it hits our commuting workforce particularly hard, raises the overall transportation costs on goods and products made by Massachusetts companies, and I fear will drive even more economic activity over the border to New Hampshire,” said Arciero.

Initially, Representative Tom Golden was leaning toward voting against the legislation as well, fighting for some of the 101 amendments  that addressed issues such as inflation, protecting border towns and attempting to remove the cigarette tax portion of the bill.

Ultimately, he believed the benefit was greater than the downside due to the approximately $600,000 in additional Chapter 90 funding Chelmsford would receive thanks to the legislation.

"There's never a good time for a tax increase," said Golden. "And there's no stomach in the legislature for the Governor's plan, but I do think we need to raise revenue, so I tried to support a more palatable compromise."

Representative Cory Atkins also disagreed with the Governor's approach, but for different reasons.

"I voted in favor of the House transportation bill because it will address the immediate debt problems at the Department of Transportation and the MBTA," she said. "I deeply support the governor’s concept of investment, but I think his approach was flawed. The net effect of raising the income tax and reducing the sales tax would only have generated $110 million, which would have been an inadequate amount to fix our transportation system."

Representative David Nangle could not be reached for comment.