BOSTON, MA — Following a winter for the history books, Representative James Miceli and the House of Representatives released an additional $918,573 and $761,215 for Tewksbury and Wilmington Chapter 90 funding, respectively. Chapter 90 is the Commonwealth’s assistance to local cities and towns for the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, drainage, and other critical transportation infrastructure. Funds are determined through a set formula, with determinant variables including the population, total mileage, and traffic count.
“After this brutal winter our roads need more attention and repair than usual,” said Representative Miceli upon passage of the bill. “The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and our local Department of Public Works are already out there every day doing great work. With these extra funds we can ensure that they receive all the material they need to keep traffic flowing and our streets in great condition.”
These funds follow the release of a previous $100 million dollars by the Baker administration, already approved by the Massachusetts legislature. With the passage of this bill, if approved by the Governor, additional Chapter 90 assistance will total $300 million.
Also debated and passed in the session was the Governor’s early retirement proposal. The independent passage of this program now allows the House of Representatives, who are in the midst of preparing the FY16 budget, to include the projected savings into their budget allocation process. The bill, now on the way to the Senate, is estimated save approximately $173 million dollars. According to the legislation, eligible retirees must apply by July 15, 2015 with an official retirement date of July 31, 2015.
(The above press release was provided by State Rep. Jim Miceli’s Office.)
Wilmington Apple 