Governor Unveils Online Tool Detailing Budget Effects on Communities

In an effort to promote his $34.8 billion budget proposal, Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled an online tool with 400 maps that shows what each legislative district would receive in education funding. 

“This tool will help people see exactly what to expect in their own backyard as part of the investments we’ve proposed,” Patrick said. “Meaningful investments in education and transportation today will significantly improve our economic future both in the short term and for generations to come.”

There are two maps per district – one displaying transportation investments and one displaying education investments in each community.    

For example, according to the maps, Chelmsford will receive $10,218,568 in Chapter 90 educational funds for fiscal 2014, not including Chapter 90 funds for Nashoba Tech and $1,761,053 in Chapter 90 transportation funding for fiscal 2014.

"Governor Patrick’s budget plan includes a $1 billion annual investment in the Commonwealth’s transportation system ... (and) includes a $550 million investment in education, reaching $1 billion over four years," an administration press release said. 

The budget proposal seeks to pay for this funding by increasing the income tax from 5.25 percent to 6.25 percent and eliminating up to 44 tax deductions. To ease the burden of these increases, especially on lower-income families, it proposes reducing the sales tax from 6.25 percent to 4.5 percent and doubling personal exemptions.