Marlborough Police, Fire, Schools Get Boost In 2024 State Budget

MARLBOROUGH, MA — State lawmakers on Monday passed the state's fiscal 2024 budget, a $56.2 billion spending plan covering the big state departments and new initiatives, like free school lunches and a forthcoming free community college program.

The budget also includes plenty of bits and pieces for cities and towns across the state. Each year, state lawmakers pack the budget with funding for local projects, providing a boost for initiatives that local budgets don't cover.

Marlborough will get more than $500,000 in state funding for these items:

• $175,000 for the Marlborough Fire Department to replace CAD software and for technology upgrades like computers, wiring, cable and television screens at all fire stations
• $250,000 for to reconstruct curbing around the Marlborough police station and resurface the parking lot
• $45,000 to replace the “Welcome to Marlborough” coming into the city from Northborough
• $100,000 for improvements at the Marlborough public library

On top of those local funds, Marlborough Public Schools will receive a boost in state Chapter 70 funds — the main state funding source for local districts — from about $38 million in fiscal 2023 to nearly $46 million in fiscal 2024.

Gov. Maura Healey still has to sign off on the budget before it goes into effect. The state Legislature was about a month late in passing the budget — the 2024 fiscal year began on July 1.