Road-Funding Bill Goes To Patrick
The Senate voted 39-0 Thursday to send Gov. Deval Patrick a record-setting $300 million local road repair funding bill.
While Patrick also recommended a $300 million Chapter 90 program, the governor has not yet filed a borrowing terms bill, which must be passed before the funds can flow to cities and towns, where local officials had hoped the money would arrive by early April, in time for the prime construction season.
Patrick administration officials have raised questions about whether a tax bill moving through the Legislature will provide enough new transportation revenue to support the $300 million program. With the arrival on his desk of the bill, Patrick will have 10 days to decide whether to sign it, veto it, or send it back with an amendment.
Judging from the slow pace of conference committee talks it appears Patrick may need to make a decision on the Chapter 90 bill before he receives tax-raising legislation from the Legislature. While Patrick recommended a $1.9-billion tax proposal in January, the six-member conference committee is working off House and Senate-approved bills that raised taxes by about $500 million.
In an early April letter to local officials, Patrick and Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray wrote, "Without the passage of either our tax reform proposal or additional revenue that is derived from options substantively comparable to that which we have proposed, investment in the Chapter 90 program will not be implemented. Without enactment of our plan, necessary road and bridge projects, including your local transportation needs, will go unaddressed, creating longer commutes, eliminating public transit options and slowing economic recovery and growth."
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