Senator Donnelly Announces House and Senate Reach Agreement on Spending Plan to close out Fiscal Year 2011

(BOSTON) – Senator Kenneth Donnelly (D-Arlington) has announced that additional funding will be released to local cities and towns in the recently released supplemental budget. This funding is part of the restoration of $65 million in local aid payments, and will help close the cut in local aid made in the FY12 budget. The House of Representatives and the Senate reached an agreement on a supplemental budget for the end of fiscal year 2011 on Thursday, October 6.

“This spending plan funds many critical state and local initiatives that I have advocated for,” said Senator Donnelly. Funding in the supplemental budget includes $146.7 million for the state’s inpatient mental health beds, club houses and mental health community services. The Governor and the House initially proposed cutting this fund by $18 million, which would have eliminated 160 in- patient treatment beds.

$8.2 million was allocated for the Department of Transitional Assistance to restore the clothing allowance, providing needy children with the full $150 annual clothing allowance. An additional $10 million was allocated to expand the state’s substance abuse program. $6 million was allocated for bed holds, a program that pays nursing homes to hold beds for up to 10 days when residents leave for hospital care, family visits, and other short-term absences. $1.5 million was also appropriated to the Northwest Park project in Burlington.

The amounts that the city and towns in Senator Donnelly’s district will receive are as follows:

Arlington $463,969
Billerica $356,117
Burlington $160,158
Lexington $93,726
Woburn $366,133

“I am very happy that we have been able to provide additional local aid payments to our cities and towns. These are difficult economic times, and this additional money will provide much needed relief.”