Print Friendly, PDF & Email

MCOA Membership

As we await the House Ways and Means Budget on Wednesday, April 11th we ask our membership to be prepared to act.

Five potential outcomes from the HWM proposal:

  1. A cut/highly unlikely = reduction to Formula and SIG grants
  2. Level Funding/unlikely = $9.70/elder
  3. $11/elder/possible= $15.6million MCOA’s Original Request (January 1, 2018)
  4. $11.70/elder/likely= $16,615,000 Governor’s Proposal (January 24, 2018)
  5. $12/elder/possible= $17million MCOA’s Revised Request

Reasons for optimism: Revenues are up slightly, House members and leadership understand the growing demographic, and it is an election year are the reasons I think there will be an increase.

Concerns: the national economy and backfilling any potential federal cuts.

The most likely scenario (#4) is driven by Governor Baker’s FY19 proposal (House 2)  that added enough funds to increase the COA Formula Grant by $2/elder; the problem being the FY18 Budget Conference Committee cut the line item by 3% at the end of debate last year and that was not factored into his calculations. Thus if we get $16,615,000 we will still be short (-$385,000) and this will impact either/both the Formula and/or SIG grants.

MCOA revised our request upward and formally requested the  $17million in Line Item #9110-9002 that would fully fund the Service Incentive Grant program and COA Formula Grants at $12/elder.

The Board will decide Wednesday if we need to pursue a floor amendment after reviewing the HWM proposal. We may call on our members to contact their Representatives to sign onto the ‘amendment’. The more co-signers the better… Stay tuned- We will let you know Wednesday afternoon either way.

Remember this is the second step, the Senate will take this up in early May.

 

David P. Stevens

Executive Director

Massachusetts Councils on Aging

Email: david@mcoaonline.com

Web: www.mcoaonline.com

Cell: 413.539.0565

 

Massachusetts Councils
on Aging

116 Pleasant Street, Suite 306
Easthampton, MA 01027
 
Telephone: 413-527-6425
Fax: 413-527-7138