Health & Fitness
Representatives Lyons & Lombardo Propose $2 billion Tax Relief Plan
Lyons/Lombardo Plan will provide a 40% increase in total amount of Local Aid to our cities and towns over the next 5 years
Representatives Jim Lyons (R-Andover) and Marc Lombardo (R-Billerica) have announced their intention to file a proposal for a $2 billion Tax Relief Plan for Massachusetts Cities and Towns. “We will be filing an amendment to the upcoming House Budget that will provide a 40% increase in total amount of Local Aid to our cities and towns over the next 5 years. Properly allocating our state resources to fund our cities and town should be our first priority when budgeting, not an afterthought,” said Lyons.
“Most citizens use government services at the local level. Our schools, police, fire, and public works are where our tax dollars should be spent. The increase in Local Aid could be used to reduce property taxes and give real relief to the taxpayers of the Commonwealth. We have seen state spending increase by over $11 Billion since Governor Patrick took office in 2006. In that same time frame, Unrestricted Aid to our communities has been decreased by almost $400 million,” remarked Lombardo.
“The Patrick administration’s priority has been to keep money in the hands of bureaucrats on Beacon Hill. The disastrous results of this policy are clearly evident in the rash of scandals that have plagued Beacon Hill over the past 24 months. The recent failures of the Department of Children and Families to protect our children, the lack of oversight of the EBT program, a Pharmaceutical scandal that has left dozens dead, and a crime lab debacle that has cost our Commonwealth millions and threatens to let hundreds of criminals back onto the street are just a few of the signs that a drastic change in priorities is needed,” added Lyons.
The Representatives also reported that the Patrick Administration is reportedly spending $1.8 billion on people who are either breaking the rules or are not legally entitled to tax funded benefits.
“This proposal will stop the practice of the Patrick administration spending our hard earned tax dollars on those who are breaking the rules,” said Lombardo. “People who receive tax funded benefits must be citizens of Massachusetts or legally entitled to benefit. Period.”
“The Patrick administration priority of keeping our tax dollars on Beacon Hill to fund political patronage and those who are breaking the rules is unfair to the hard working taxpayers of Massachusetts. Our proposal moves Massachusetts in a new direction, where local communities will no longer be in the dark every year on what funds are available,” concluded Lyons.
