TR-93-9 ..A per- 7l. a q3 L)W "AbU-"y(,
�-
�e Gumoa C&Ik_ 3
C - 2 TR-93- 9
A Resolutlohrto Support the Removal of the Cap on Lottery Funds
and
to Support Increasing the Municipal Share of State Gas Tax Revenue
' WHEREAS, The Massachusetts Lottery was established twenty-one years ago
for the exclusive purpose of providing cities and towns with an additional revenue
source to support local services and to reduce property taxes; and
WHEREAS, For the past several years the Commonwealth has diverted lottery
funds away from cities and towns and into the state's general fund; and
WHEREAS, In Fiscal Year 1992, the Commonwealth did divert nearly twenty
percent ($75 million dollars) of all lottery revenue away from cities and towns; and
1 WHEREAS, The Massachusetts Municipal Association is sponsoring a budget
amendment which would guarantee the receipt of all the new growth of lottery funds to
cities and towns in Fiscal Year 1994; and
WHEREAS, The Massachusetts Municipal Association lottery budget
amendment would yield an additional $242,249 in lottery revenues to the Town of
Agawam in Fiscal Year 1994; and
WHEREAS, State taw requires that fifteen percent of gas tax collections be
distributed to cities and towns; and
' WHEREAS, Since Fiscal Year 1989, the Commonwealth has not fulfilled its full
obligation with regard to the distribution of gas tax revenue to cities and towns; and
WHEREAS, The Massachusetts Municipal Association is sponsoring legislation
(Gas Tax Revenue Sharing Act) which would establish a new revenue sharing statute
' which would ensure that cities and towns receive a fair share of gas tax collections,
and would further ensure the timely distribution of said revenues; and
' WHEREAS, The Gas Tax Revenue Sharing Act would yield an additional
$671,735 in gas tax revenues to the Town of Agawam in Fiscal Year 1994; and
' WHEREAS, the passage of the MMA lottery budget amendment and the Gas
Tax Revenue Sharing Act is in the best interests of the Town of Agawam; and
z
:_
0, }
n ! i,rj 1.
1_. i 44`-
NOW THEREFORE, the Agawam Town Council does hereby resolve to support
the passage of the MMA lottery budget amendment and the Gas Tax Revenue
Sharing Act, and further resolves to send a copy of this resolution to His Excellency
William F. Weld, Governor; Linda J. Melconian, State Senator, and Michael P. Walsh,
State Representative.
Dated this SIXTH day of APRIL , 1g93.
1
PER ORDER OF THE AGAWAM TOWN COUNCIL
Jams aylor, Pr d nt
Aga m Town Council
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
i
Th'bmas olicitor
■
MAYORAL ACTION
Received this _,N/A day of , 1993 from Town
Council Clerk. (SIGNED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT APRIL 6, 1993)
APPROVAL OF LEGISLATION By the powers vested in me pursuant to Article 3, Section 3-6
of the Agawam Charter, as amended, I hereby approve the
' passage of the above legislation on this SIXTH day of
APRIL , 1993 .
istop TDAPP'ROVAL
, Mayor
OF LEGISLATION
By the powers vested in me pursuant to Article 3, Section 3-6
of the Agawam Charter, as amended, I hereby veto the passage
of the above legislation on this day of
1993 for the following reason(s) :
Christopher C. Johnson, Mayor
RETURN OF LEGISLATION TO COUNCIL CLERK
Returned to Council Clerk this SEVENTH day of ARRTI
1993 .
i
i
q3-q
M1CHIAIEL P. WALSH Chairman
3Rn HAMPDEN DISTRICT Committee on
P.O. Box 160 Government Regulations
AGAWAM, MA 01001 ROOM 472, STATE HOUSE
TEL. 786-454 5
rEl..722-2 1 zo
May 28, 1993
Mr. James Taylor, President
Agawam City Council
36 Main Street
Agawam, MA 01001
Dear Council sident:
' Thank you for your letter regarding the proposed lottery
distributions.
The House Ways and Means budget, which is currently being
debated, contains language which provides $375 million in
lottery' s monies to be distributed to the cities and towns . In
' addition, any balance in the State Lottery Fund shall be
transferred to the Local Aid Fund for municipal assistance and
other such appropriations. This represents an increase of $46
million above the lottery cap. For the town of Agawam, this means
a lottery appropriation of $1, 916, 748.
Please be assured that I will support this lottery
appropriation throughout the House budget debate process. Again,
thank you for your letter expressing your concern on this
important issue.
Sincerely,
jx,, .A
jo, UA44
MICHAEL P. WALSH
State Representative
1
MPW/cf
CC ,' C,�)CIA161L