.25¢ www.TheSomervilleNews.com Vol. 40 No. 26 • JULY 6, 2011 Somerville’s only independent community newspaper
[email protected] 4th of July fireworks State aid shortfall Inside: creates tough brings the bang decisions By Andrew Firestone With the $30.6 billion state budget approved last week, Somerville has joined cities and towns across Massachusetts in coming to grips with a frightening situation: for the first time City Photo by Andrew Firestone healthcare costs have risen above state aid. This means that, for the $29.1 million in state aid for the fiscal year 2011, all of it has gone to bridge the $34.1 million in healthcare costs. In the last decade, aid to Somerville has fallen by $28.3 New Little League champs million, and while the City has managed to stave off any cuts to services, it is becoming clearer page 14 that tax reform might be needed in order to save failing municipalities across the state. “What's happened in the last several years is that [state aid] has dropped off precipitously and what has happened, it's not just Somerville, but almost every city and town in Massachusetts that gets some state aid has had to recalculate how to manage their expenses,” said Alderman- at-Large John Connolly. “The lack of the consistence in state aid, which is what hurts, has made cities and towns much The annual Fourth of July Fireworks show at Trum Field wowed the crowd last Thursday.See what it was more independent and self-reliant as a result and all about on pages 12-13.