Rep Garlick Letter on the FY22 House Budget

Dear Friends and Neighbors in Needham,

In the very full final day of budget negotiations last week, I joined my colleagues in the House of Representatives to vote in the affirmative on the FY22 budget.

I wanted to let you know what the House budget means for Needham. As you may recall, FY21 level funded local aid and Chapter 70 (adjusted for enrollment), even despite fiscal challenges caused by the COVID-19 public health crisis. For FY22, we voted to increase unrestricted local aid 3.5% and fully fund 1/6 of the Student Opportunity Act:

- Local Aid: $1,918,602

- Chapter 70: $11,192,613

Working with the Chair of Ways and Means, I was able to secure further funding for local priorities:

- $50K for a Feasibility Study on Retrofitting Kitchen at the Center at the Heights

- $50K for the Needham Public Health Department to seek accreditation

- $90K for BID-Needham to bring on a contracted mental health clinician in it in its behavioral health and emergency departments

The House budget continues to build on the careful recovery of the Commonwealth from the COVID-19 public health emergency. To support our schools the House allocates funding for district transportation and COVID-19 support, in addition to fully funding 1/6 of the Student Opportunity Act. It increases funding for food security programs in the Commonwealth including Emergency Food Assistance and the Healthy Incentives Program. And to support older adults, whose lives have been greatly changed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the House increases funding for the Department of Elder Affairs to continue supporting older adults in their homes and communities.

This is just the first step - the budget now goes to the Senate, where they will debate and consider funding.

Then, it will proceed to a Conference Committee, which is comprised of three members from each branch of the legislature. The goal of this Committee is to resolve differences between the House of Representatives recommendations and the Senate recommendations. The Conference Committee will report a final bill which will be voted on by the House and Senate for final approval. After the budget has been approved by the legislature, the Governor has ten days to either approve or veto the budget. The Governor has many options during this time, they can:

· Approve the entire budget

· Veto the entire budget

· Veto specific line items

· Reduce specific line items

· Veto outside sections

· Submit changes as an amendment to the budget

I will continue to work with my colleagues in the House on these budget priorities throughout the rest of the process.

Yours in service,

Denise Garlick

State Representative