Comments on: Mayor Curtatone says Somerville could lose approx $3 million in local aid this fiscal year http://www.somervillevoices.org/2009/01/23/economy-poverty/mayor-curtatone-says-somerville-could-lose-approx-3-million-in-local-aid-this-fiscal-year/ An independent, open forum for reports and opinions about life in our city. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:37:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jeff Levine http://www.somervillevoices.org/2009/01/23/economy-poverty/mayor-curtatone-says-somerville-could-lose-approx-3-million-in-local-aid-this-fiscal-year/comment-page-1/#comment-6875 Jeff Levine Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:11:03 +0000 http://www.somervillevoices.org/?p=477#comment-6875 I think that the comment about $13 million "above foundation level" means that, due to demographics and other factors, Somerville gets $13 million more than another community of a comparable size might get. Local aid has a baseline amound that every city gets, which I think is the foundation level. that amount is determined by very basic factors like population. Then that amount gets adjusted based on things like income levels, in Somerville's case by an additional $13 million. At least that's my basic understanding of local aid. I think that the comment about $13 million “above foundation level” means that, due to demographics and other factors, Somerville gets $13 million more than another community of a comparable size might get. Local aid has a baseline amound that every city gets, which I think is the foundation level. that amount is determined by very basic factors like population. Then that amount gets adjusted based on things like income levels, in Somerville’s case by an additional $13 million.

At least that’s my basic understanding of local aid.

]]> By: Dennis Fischman http://www.somervillevoices.org/2009/01/23/economy-poverty/mayor-curtatone-says-somerville-could-lose-approx-3-million-in-local-aid-this-fiscal-year/comment-page-1/#comment-6865 Dennis Fischman Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:41:14 +0000 http://www.somervillevoices.org/?p=477#comment-6865 I think the "disadvantage from a management standpoint" is that cities and towns have to cut their expenses for the current fiscal year when the year is already half over. If they had known last July, they could have made shallower cuts over the whole twelve months--but they could not have known. I think the “disadvantage from a management standpoint” is that cities and towns have to cut their expenses for the current fiscal year when the year is already half over. If they had known last July, they could have made shallower cuts over the whole twelve months–but they could not have known.

]]> By: Barry Rafkind http://www.somervillevoices.org/2009/01/23/economy-poverty/mayor-curtatone-says-somerville-could-lose-approx-3-million-in-local-aid-this-fiscal-year/comment-page-1/#comment-6850 Barry Rafkind Sun, 25 Jan 2009 03:58:23 +0000 http://www.somervillevoices.org/?p=477#comment-6850 Mayor Curtatone is apparently taking every opportunity to discuss this issue in the media. He appears in today's NECN television story about the reactions of municipal leaders to the governor's local aid cuts. Watch it at <a href="http://multimedia.boston.com/pub/m/21793810/bay_state_mayors_forced_to_cope_with_budget_cuts.htm?q=somerville&index=1" rel="nofollow">Bay State mayors forced to cope with budget cuts</a>. He doesn't say anything new in this interview. Mayor Curtatone is apparently taking every opportunity to discuss this issue in the media. He appears in today’s NECN television story about the reactions of municipal leaders to the governor’s local aid cuts. Watch it at Bay State mayors forced to cope with budget cuts. He doesn’t say anything new in this interview.

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