BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey filed her budget recommendations for Fiscal Year 2027 on Wednesday, which she said is about making life easier and more affordable.
“In contrast to what we’ve seen out of Washington, we’re going to make sure in Massachusetts that we preserve funding and services for the most vulnerable among us,” Gov. Healey said.
The multi-billion-dollar budget does not propose any new taxes or fees, according to Gov Healey, prioritizing affordability while investing in education and transportation, which has been supported by Fair Share revenue, a program that imposes an additional 4% state incomes surtax on income exceeding $1 million.
“That represents an increase of just 1% compared to our current fiscal year spending. That’s less than last year’s rate and the lowest proposed since we took office, and below inflation,” Gov. Healey said.
Wednesday’s announcement breaks down the $62.8 billion budget with $3.6 billion for transportation, including $2.54 billion for the MBTA.
“That’s the investment in our workforce, in the T, that’s going to not only deliver results today but deliver results long-term,” MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said.
For education, the budget includes a boost in funding for several programs like $1.2 billion to support Child Care Financial Assistance and over $800 million reserved for the Special Education Circuit Breaker.
“This budget fully funds the 6th and final year of the Student Opportunity Act. That was groundbreaking legislation that really upped the commitment from the state to cities and towns," Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll said.
In a statement, the Massachusetts Teachers Association said the budget doesn’t go far enough.
“While boosting state funding for rural schools, transportation and special education is essential, the governor should be fighting with us for fully staffed and resourced schools, in part by raising revenue by properly taxing corporations that are avoiding paying their fair share.”
Republican Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr made a similar sentiment and questioned how the numbers in the budget add up.
“There are some important investments in this budget like increasing access to childcare, increasing the subsidy to Commonwealth connector; those are important things. But the other side of the equation is we can’t continue to rely on using tax dollars to reduce the cost because raising revenue through taxes ultimately is one of the largest points of unaffordability in Massachusetts so there has to be balance and we have to look seriously at how do we reduce costs?”
— Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr
In response to Gov. Healey’s proposal, Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kennealy wrote the following.
“While Massachusetts families’ budgets shrink year after year, Governor Healey’s state budget continues to grow. That imbalance is unsustainable. Government is supposed to support its citizens, but in Governor Healey’s Massachusetts, citizens are treated as the ATM for an ever-expanding state bureaucracy. Just look at the meager increase in unrestricted local aid – roughly $33 million – despite local officials requesting ten times that amount. It’s clear her priorities do not lie with our cities and towns, but with protecting special-interest pet projects and a bloated state budget. As your Governor, I will take the same disciplined approach to spending that I took in business, education, and state government: conduct a full audit of spending, identify waste, and implement real efficiencies. That is the leadership Massachusetts deserves – and it’s the leadership we are not getting today.”
— Mike Kennealy
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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