Sen. Lewis and Rep. Lipper-Garabedian Secure $250,000 for Local Melrose Priorities in State Budget

BOSTON—State Senator Jason Lewis and State Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian are pleased to announce that they secured $250,000 for various local priorities in Melrose as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Massachusetts state budget.

The FY26 state budget, totaling $61 billion, is fiscally responsible while delivering significant levels of investment in public K-12 education, local aid for cities and towns, transportation and infrastructure projects, healthcare, early education and childcare, housing programs, and more. The budget also updates the law to require that residential broker fees are paid by the party that reaches out to the broker, ensuring the fee agreements worked out between a landlord and broker are not passed on to a tenant.

Within the budget, Senator Lewis and Representative Lipper-Garabedian secured funding for the following projects in Melrose:

• $100,000 for capital improvements at Melrose Public Schools.
• $75,000 for playing fields in Melrose.
• $50,000 for a new police cruiser for the Melrose Police Department.
• $25,000 for equipment for the Melrose Police Department.

The Legislature also allocated $13.3 million to support Melrose Public Schools and $6.4 million of Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) for Melrose to use as they see fit in their general budget.

“I’m proud that this budget, passed with bipartisan support, will deliver critical resources for our public schools and communities, and will make our state more affordable for working families with significant investments in childcare, housing, and healthcare,” said Senator Jason Lewis. “I’m especially pleased that Representative Lipper-Garabedian and I were able to secure funding for improvements to Melrose Public Schools and other local Melrose priorities.”

“The FY26 Budget is a powerful statement of our values as a Commonwealth at a time of unparalleled and astonishing federal executive branch actions that undermine our civil rights, civil liberties, and safety,” said Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian. “In Massachusetts, we recognize the value of supporting public education, investing in a more reliable public transportation system, protecting the right to safe health care, and aiding local non-profits that do critical work in our communities. I’m additionally glad to secure $250 thousand in local earmarks with Senator Lewis that prioritize these values and support Melrose residents.”

The FY26 state budget received final passage from the House of Representatives and Senate on June 30, 2025, and was sent to Governor Maura Healey’s desk for her consideration.