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October 29, 2008
MA: prison towns to loose mitigation money
News Wicked Local Walpole News
Walpole to lose $750k prison mitigation money
By Jeb Bobseine
Fri Oct 17, 2008, 12:09 PM EDT
WALPOLE -
Walpole will lose $750,000 it gets for being home to a state prison, according to the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
As a result, Town Administrator Michael Boynton is predicting cutbacks throughout Town Hall, possibly including layoffs.
The $750,000 cut is part of a sweeping attempt by Gov. Deval Patrick to balance the state budget in the turbulent economy, state spokesman Terrel Harris said.
"As I understand it, it's unsustainable, especially in these economic times," Harris said. "It's an earmark that we just can't afford."
Local and state officials are fuming over Patrick cutting prison mitigation funds after his recent promise to secure local aid funds to towns and cities across the state.
"It's absolutely inexplicable and utterly indefensible," said state Sen. James Timilty, D-Walpole.
The prison mitigation program, which compensates towns like Walpole for hosting prisons, is a "significant and transparent piece of local aid," Timilty said.
"I'm beyond frustrated" that aid to Walpole has been cut "under the guise of eliminating earmarks," Timilty said.
Boynton agreed.
On Wednesday, Oct.15 Gov. Patrick said local aid would be preserved for all cities and towns, Boynton said. But that's simply not accurate, he said.
"Our community is a great host (to MCI-Cedar Junction) and has been asked to continue on without the appropriate level of funding," he said.
The results will be felt across all town departments, Boynton predicted, from the schools, to police, to fire. "We will, in fact, have cutbacks, and likely layoffs," he said.
Anytime a cut is made in the middle of the fiscal year, "it's a problem," Boynton stressed.
Norfolk, which hosts MCI-Norfolk, saw its nearly $200,000 mitigation money cut as well.
Walpole's portion of a different mitigation program is about $67,000, Boynton estimated.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/walpole/news/x1348676575/Walpole-to-lose-750k-prison-mitigation-money
Posted by lois at October 29, 2008 12:26 PM