BEACON HILL BEAT
FEBRUARY 2008
GOVERNOR PATRICK UNVEILS $28.2 BILLION FY 2009 STATE BUDGET FUNDING COMMONWEALTH SEWER RATE RELIEF FUND AT $15 MILLION
Governor Deval Patrick released his FY 2009 state budget recommendation totaling $28.2 Billion, a 5% increase over last year. The proposal seeks increases for education, parks, and public safety. Under the Governor's plan, $297 Million would come from closing corporate tax loopholes and $124 Million would be derived from the sale of casino licenses, both of which have yet to get the support of the legislative leadership. Patrick's plan also proposes using $370 Million from the state's rainy day fund.
The Governor funded the Commonwealth Sewer Rate Relief Fund at $15 Million. This program helps reduce water bills for ratepayers throughout Massachusetts, not just the MWRA district. The Rate Relief program is a perfect example of local aid and how the state can help Massachusetts citizens address annual rate increases. A few years ago this program was funded at $61 Million, but was drastically reduced because of budget cuts. In FY 2008, Rate Relief was funded at $23 Million and two years ago it reached $25 Million. UCANE is working with environmental and municipal groups to request that the House and Senate increase Rate Relief funding in each of their FY 2009 budget proposals.
Among the other line-items in the state budget that UCANE tracks are the Water Pollution Abatement Trust (WPAT) Contract Assistance line-items for the Clean Water and Drinking Water programs, which was funded at $67.4 Million, up from last year's allocation of $64.1 Million, and the DEP's General account, which includes staff funding, set at $35.5 Million up from $34.7 Million.
This is the first step in a multiple-step process in determining the final Massachusetts state budget for FY 2009. Next, the House will propose their budget recommendations, followed by the Senate, after which a Conference Committee will be convened to negotiate the differences in the legislature's priorities. The state's fiscal year starts on July 1st.
The Governor's full FY 2009 Budget Recommendation can be viewed on the Internet at: www.mass.gov/bb/h1/fy2009h1/
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MWRA ADVISORY BOARD RELEASES 2007 SEWER & WATER RATE SURVEY
The MWRA Advisory Board released their 21st Annual Water and Sewer Rate Survey for 2007, reporting a 6.2% increase for customers in the MWRA service area for combined water and sewer services based on an annual consumption of approximately 90,000 gallons per household. The average annual water bill for MWRA community households was $421.19 and the average sewer bill was $647.35, for a total of $1,068.54. The report lists water and sewer retail rates for each community in the MWRA service area, and compares MWRA rates to those of other cities and regions across the country. The data demonstrates that MWRA service area rates are among the highest in the country, behind Seattle, WA ($1,227.60) and comparable to Portland, ME ($1,037.28).
The MWRA Advisory Board was created by the MA legislature in 1984 to represent the interests of MWRA ratepayers and their communities, and is comprised of one representative from each of the sixty communities that receive water and/or sewer services from the MWRA, along with one representative from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). Additionally, six members are appointed by the Governor, plus one representative each from the Connecticut River Basin, the Quabbin/Ware Watershed area and the Wachusett Watershed area, along with two Board members representing organizations concerned with the recreation and commercial use of Boston Harbor.
The Advisory Board’s full report can be accessed on the Internet at:
http://www.mwraadvisoryboard.com/Publications/Rate_Survey/2007_Survey.pdf
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MA DIVISION OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY REPORTS DECLINE IN WORKPLACE INJURIES & FATALITIES
The MA Division of Occupational Safety’s Injuries and Illness Report indicates that the rate of workplace-related nonfatal injuries and illness have dropped by 6% and the number of workplace fatalities over the same period has decreased by 13%. The study, reviewing data from 2005-2006, indicates that MA’s rate of 3.9 injury cases per 100 full-time workers is below the national average of 4.4.
The Construction industry represents the highest rate of injuries with 6.4 cases per 100 full-time workers along with the largest number of fatalities with 18 or 27% of the total in 2006. The top professions in terms of lost days at work were: laborers and freight, stock and material movers representing 3,120 days lost; nursing aids, orderlies and attendants representing 2,290 days lost; and truck drivers representing 1,520 days lost
MA Division of Occupational Safety’s Injuries and Illness Report can be viewed on the Internet at: http://www.mass.gov/dos/stats/index.htm
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