Lowell’s State House delegation with Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey (center). To here left, State Senator Ed Kennedy and 17th Middlesex Rep. Vanna Howard. !6th Middlesex State Rep. Rodney Elliott and 18th Middlesex State Rep. Tara Hong to the right.
Lowell – This past Monday, the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives passed a $61.01 billion budget for fiscal year 2026, with the City of Lowell and nonprofits within the city receiving significant investments from the Commonwealth.
As part of the budget, Lowell will receive $261,489,114 in Chapter 70 funding for public schools, an increase of $18,438,068 from the FY25 budget. Lowell will also receive $31,355,690 in unrestricted local aid, an increase of $341,160 from the FY25 budget.
Representative Vanna Howard stated, “Each budget reflects the Commonwealth’s priorities and our job as a delegation is to ensure that it also reflects the priorities of the communities we serve that support our children and families. I am incredibly proud this budget makes significant investments in improving quality public education, affordable and reliable public transportation, health, mental health and family care, housing that is affordable, safer roads and bridges, and food insecurity. I am also proud of how the Lowell and Tewksbury delegations worked together to ensure that our city was able to bring home the tax dollars we deserve. I want to thank Speaker Mariano, Chair Michlewitz, and my colleagues in the House, as well as partners in the Senate for their due diligence in delivering a balanced budget ensuring our economy is more competitive and equitable.”
In the budget, Howard secured funding commitments for:
• $250,000 for Catie’s Closet to provide K-12 students, in schools with a high percentage of low-income and homeless students with access to clothing, toiletries, basic necessities; in addition to community-based resources including social services, mental health services, and behavioral health services. (Co-filed with Rep. Rob Consalvo of Boston and Rep. Brian Ashe of Longmeadow)
• $200,000 for the statewide alliance of Girls Inc. to continue offering EUREKA! and Smart programs at Framingham, Holyoke, Lowell, Lynn, Pittsfield and Worcester chapters (Co-filed with Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield)
• $50,000 for site furnishing/ADA compliance and improvements to Oliveria and Rotary Parks, as well as McInerney Playground
• $50,000 for Lowell Community Health Center’s residency program for primary care doctors in the city of Lowell to be used for housing stipends for residents
• $50,000 for Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association’s transitional services for refugees.
• $50,000 for Tewksbury sidewalk improvements on the Whipple Road corridor to ensure the accessibility and safety of pedestrians
• $50,000 for renovations at the Ella Flemings school in Tewksbury (Co-filed with Rep. Tram T. Nguyen of Andover and Rep. David A. Robertson of Wilmington)
• $100,000 for the behavioral health unit for the Dracut-Tyngsborough-Tewksbury-Chelmsford-Billerica police departments to support mental health emergency crisis response and $50,000 for the Community Teamwork Inc. / Rita O’Brien-Dee Center for Behavioral Health and Development. (Co-filed with Reps. Nguyen & Robertson)
Representative Rodney Elliott stated, “This is a crucial step for Massachusetts, ensuring we maintain core services and reinforce the Commonwealth’s economic foundation while supporting our most vulnerable populations. We are committed to the protection of essential services. I am proud that it allocates $125,000 to Pawtucketville, Centralville and North Chelmsford. This funding will not only enhance our public spaces but also strengthen the vital services provided by local organizations.”
Elliott championed funding for:
• $50,000 shall be expended for the restoration and preservation of parks and historic cemeteries in the Pawtucketville and Centralville sections of the city of Lowell.
• $25,000 shall be expended for the Non-Profit Alliance of Greater Lowell.
• $50,000 shall be expended to reduce or eliminate nuisance species at Freeman Lake in the town of Chelmsford
Representative Tara Hong said, “As this is my first budget, I’m really proud to have helped secure funding for nonprofits in my district. These investments are important to the families and young people they serve.”
Hong’s efforts in the budget directly resulted in:
• $25,000 for the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell, Inc. To support their after-school cultural program and the Rising Stars sports and leadership summer day camp.
• $25,000 for the Latinx Community Center for Empowerment (LCCE), Inc. For the administration of a workforce development program, including ESOL classes, resume building, interview training, and job placement services.
• $25,000 for Coalition for a Better Acre, Inc. To support the YES! year-round Out-of-School-Time program.
Lowell will also benefit from:
• $22.1B for MassHealth – expanding coverage to 2M+ residents to support Health, Mental Health, and Family Care
• $7.36B for public schools – significant funding for Year 5 of the Student Opportunity Act. Further, the budget also increases the minimum Chapter 70 aid to $150 per pupil. Lowell received $261,489,114.
• $484.9M for Circuit Breaker Special Education
• $1.98M for reproductive freedom organizations across Massachusetts to continue providing services amid possible federal cuts
• $209M for Regional Transit Authorities establishes free bus rides
• 14M for Disaster Relief and Resiliency Fund for emergency disaster response
• $1.67B for early education and care workforce, including $475M for C3 grants to childcare providers
• $120M for free community college – including new non-credit EMT & Paramedic training
• $5M to implement an immigration legal services program distributed by the office for refugees and immigrants to designated non-profit organizations to increase access to legal representation, advice, and advocacy for immigrants and refugees who are facing enhanced legal threats from the federal government
• $180M for universal free school meals – serving over $500,000 students daily
• $253M for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program
• Eliminates broker fees and launches statewide retirement plan
The Lowell House Delegation is grateful to Speaker of the House Ronald J. Mariano, House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz, Senate President Karen E. Spilka, Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael J. Rodrigues, and members of the conference committee who worked tirelessly to negotiate this balanced budget.
Both chambers of the Legislature having voted to enact the legislation, the budget will now be sent to the Governor for her signature.
