Committee to weigh impact of state deficit
Town Administrator Tim Bragan reported that the state’s budget deficit “could be at least $500,000,000,” according to the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA). Bragan summarized the MMA report, which included several items whose resolution will impact Massachusetts town budgets: the ability of towns to update municipal health insurance plans outside of collective bargaining; closure of the telecom property tax loophole; clarification of the Quinn Bill, which would unburden towns from responsibility for paying the state’s share of the police career incentive program; and legislation allowing cities and towns to extend their pension funding schedules by 10 years, to 2040, to protect local taxpayers from unnecessarily high assessments during this time of fiscal crisis. These issues will affect town budgets for the upcoming fiscal year and await legislative resolution, Bragan said. The committee will be evaluating just what the impact on Harvard will be.
