Tell Massachusetts Policy Makers to Keep Their Priorities Straight
Massachusetts Has Big Problems
Across the state, our infrastructure is crumbling: bridges are falling apart, water quality is degrading, and municipal budgets are facing higher costs to deliver basic services. All the time, taxes continue to rise and living here has become less and less affordable.
Mass Priorities
It’s time for municipal governments to get their priorities straight. Our precious tax dollars must go to fixing our infrastructure, improving our schools, and keeping communities safe.
Mass Priorities exists to educate residents in communities across the state about the local policy decisions affecting their lives. We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition for concerned Massachusetts residents advocating for smart, responsible use of taxpayer dollars by our local elected officials.
The Problem
Despite the glaring, concrete challenges facing our communities, our local leaders are too often led down rabbit holes of big spending to solve so-called “problems” that aren’t actually important.
In Fairhaven, the town is staring down a $2.2 million budget deficit, yet has proposed borrowing more than $20 million to build a government broadband network. While town departments are raising fees and preparing for budget cuts, it makes no sense to go tens of millions of dollars in debt for an unneeded project.
In West Springfield, town leaders are facing difficult budget decisions, with major capital projects, including a new police station, a new DPW facility, and support for the Mittineague school all under consideration while federal funds dwindle. At the same time, the town is considering bonding for a broadband network that would cost taxpayers over $25 million, not be profitable, and is only expected to serve half of the town's residents. West Springfield leaders should make wise choices with limited government resources and invest in public safety and education, not an unnecessary broadband network.
In Sudbury, Dudley, Southwick, and communities across Massachusetts, public schools and town budgets are facing a crunch as federal pandemic aid expires. Instead of cutting school budgets to fund pet projects, it’s time for Massachusetts towns to get back to basics and focus on what towns need: schools, law enforcement, and infrastructure.
In Bourne, town officials have been struggling to close a $1.9 million gap in the town's budget and have been considering either cutting funding for education and health services or raising taxes to generate new revenue. At the same time, town officials have proposed a digital equity plan that recommends building duplicative broadband infrastructure, which would require tens of millions of dollars of additional taxpayer investments. Bourne’s leaders should prioritize the urgent needs of the town, not projects that will further the burden on taxpayers.
Springfield is the largest city in Hampden County. Hampden county roads and bridges are rated #6 statewide in terms of being in dire need of repairs. In Western Mass, transportation infrastructure is vital to the health of our service, manufacturing and tourism economy. Roads and bridges are a Massachusetts priority. Our local, state and federal governments should fund these critical projects first, before investing in unneeded and unwanted pet projects.
Enough is Enough
It’s time for our local officials to get their priorities straight and start solving the real problems in our towns.