Getting our ‘Fair Share’ will take unified approach, lawmaker say
by Nino Mtchedlishvili
Boston University Statehouse Program
Link: The Daily Hampshire Gazette, 12/04/2022
This article was included in POLITICO and MASSINSIDER Newsletters
BOSTON — Western Massachusetts lawmakers say they need a unified approach to advocate for their communities’ needs creatively and persuasively as decisions are made on Beacon Hill on how to divvy up the money that will be generated by passage of the Fair Share Amendment.
“We need to understand that we are stronger when we work collectively as a region but also in collaboration with other regions,” said Rep. Mindy Domb, D-Amherst. “We are much stronger together than we are individually. Our separate districts have unique needs, and we can’t forget those to advocate for, but we need to link arms with each other.”
The Fair Share Amendment, Question 1 on the November ballot, amends the state Constitution to create a 4% surtax on income over $1 million to provide funds for public education, infrastructure and public transportation.
“The amendment is critical to western Massachusetts because we have education and transportation needs that have often been postponed because of the lack of revenue,” Domb said. “We need our community residents to have access to safe roads, reliable transportation, and quality education, and we need a dedicated funding stream to address these issues.”
The new surtax will apply to tax years beginning after Jan. 1, 2023. State Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, said the Legislature still needs to calculate revenue first and then discuss creating a formula that is fair and meets every region’s needs.
“Regional equity is the conversation we have every single day, and this process is not going to be any different,” Comerford said. “Our job is to get a fair share of revenue out to western Massachusetts.”
Domb said that naming education as one of the beneficiaries of the amendment makes it an economic development matter.
“My district has a lot of people affiliated with the UMass system, the faculty, staff, administration, and this region itself is pretty dependent on UMass,” Domb said. “The better funded our higher education system is, the more areas like ours will flourish and benefit. People will move and settle here.”
Domb said that the Legislature should consider directing revenues from the question to supplying and supporting early education through 12th grade, and public higher education.
“We passed a terrific bill, the Student Opportunity Act, to address issues of disparity in public education across the commonwealth and to ensure that every student in the state experiences high-quality learning opportunities,” Domb said. “I think those additional resources will help us achieve these goals and address affordability of public higher education, access to public higher education, faculty and income-related matters, and deferred maintenance issues.”
Fair Share also targeted public transport.
There are 644 structurally deficient bridges in Massachusetts, out of which approximately 185 are located in western Massachusetts. According to the new report of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 1-in-12 bridges need urgent maintenance, and on average, 11% of daily vehicle bridge crossings are over structurally deficient bridges.
However, Comerford said road-related infrastructure projects could become more affordable and feasible with passage of the amendment.
“Cities and towns tell me what the issues are, and then we work with the Department of Transportation,” she said. “There are major issues with bridges. They are expensive to maintain and even more expensive to build again. It is why we need more infrastructural money.”
Domb said that Amherst has its public bus system through the UMass transit system, bringing students to and from the campus, but more efficient and reliable transportation options are necessary.
“If you are a resident in Amherst, you also benefit from free bus service during the school year, but we are not just a nine-month-a-year community. When the academic calendar is not in effect, our bus service significantly reduces,” Domb said.
“Another issue is that public transit buses do not usually cross county lines. So, people living in Amherst or Hampshire County, who may want to attend Holyoke or Greenfield Community College, or work in Springfield, have no direct bus route.”
Domb said that there are significant transportation and road maintenance issues in western Massachusetts, and some communities, like Amherst, Granby and Pelham, would significantly benefit from additional funding.
“We pay a lot of attention to MBTA, and I understand that, but there are a lot of communities that do not have bus service or do not have adequate bus service,” Domb said. “We need to make sure that every Massachusetts resident can access public transit to get to work, get to school, get to doctor’s appointments.”