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Report warns of ‘economic act of god' threatening Boston's budget
The persistent popularity of remote work and high interest rates have combined to form an “economic act of God” that puts Boston at risk of losing a chunk of its tax base by the end of the decade, according to a new report. Warning about the prospect of a “permanently diminished city,” think tank analysts said a sharp and steady…
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Gov. Healey hits reset button, announces $375 million budget cut
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and her budget team hit the reset button Monday, announcing a plan to cut $375 million from the current year’s budget amid flagging tax collections, to downgrade the amount of tax revenue expected this budget year by $1 billion, and to build the next state spending plan on the assumption that even less tax revenue will…
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$2.5B federal funding ‘error' still hanging over Mass. entering new year
Exploding emergency shelter costs and lackluster tax collections have made headlines recently as Massachusetts budget stressors, but a roughly $2.5 billion error continues to lurk in the background as a potential costly wild card. More than six months after auditors discovered the Baker administration mistakenly used federal funds to pay jobless benefits during the COVID-19 emergency instead of the state’s…
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Gov. Healey signs $56B Mass. budget after making one veto
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed into law most of a policy-filled $56 billion state budget for fiscal year 2024 on Wednesday, her most significant legislative action since she took office in January. The spending plan makes permanent a pandemic-era program providing free school meals to all students, clears the way for high school graduates without legal immigration status to access…
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Mass. $56.2B state budget taps one-time state funds to fuel spending boost
The Legislature in its new annual budget agreement used about $1 billion from the state’s new income surtax to push state spending up by more than $3.5 billion, but also tapped more than $600 million from other state funds and sources to fuel the spending surge. The record $56.2 billion fiscal 2024 budget that the House and Senate sent to…
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Imminent budget cuts to leave Dudley with 2 firefighters per shift
Firefighters in Dudley, Massachusetts, are sounding the alarm about staffing cuts they said are so significant, it will soon put public safety at risk. The cuts come as the town faces a budget crunch due to increasing costs for the regional school district. Dudley Fire Chief Dean Kochanowski said the situation is dire. The cuts mean starting July 1, he…
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Dudley budget cuts to impact staffing at fire department
Fire officials in Dudley say staffing cuts beginning July 1 will leave leave the town’s public safety teams extremely shorthanded.
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How to Make C Salt Wine Bar & Grille's Malaysian Soup at Home
We’re all looking to get the most bang for our buck, especially when it comes to delicious New England seafood. Chef Charles Withers, of C Salt Wine Bar & Grille, shares his Malaysian Soup recipe, and shows you how you can make it at home.
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As Budget Negotiations Begin, Will UConn Pull Out of XL Center?
The University of Connecticut’s president said that Gov. Ned Lamont’s proposed budget falls short of adequately funding the university and, if faced with a large budget gap, all non-academic expenses are on the table. That includes the tens of thousands of dollars it takes for the Huskies to play their basketball games in Hartford’s XL Center. “The appropriations proposed...
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After Cutting Tax Relief, Legislature Sends $3.8B Massachusetts Budget Bill to Baker
A day after negotiators announced a resolution to their months-long impasse, both branches gave final approval to the nearly $3.8 billion bill
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Mass. House, Senate Strike $3.7B Budget Deal Including Energy Cost and MBTA Relief
The House and Senate have struck an agreement on a combined economic development and supplemental budget bill that will include relief from high energy costs, money to boost housing production, “immediate assistance” for the MBTA and more, legislative leaders said Wednesday. Announcing that the $3.7 billion bill will be filed “imminently,” House Speaker Ronald Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka…