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Governor Signs FY 2010 Budget Bill! MCC Budget Set at $9.7 Million

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Dear Friends, 

 

Yesterday, Governor Deval Patrick signed into the law the state budget for fiscal year 2010 which begins tomorrow, leaving intact the legislature's appropriation of $9.7 million for the Massachusetts Cultural Council.  The Governor approved a $27.4 billion budget, reduced from the FY 09 budget by $1.5 billion.

 

Thanks to our advocates all across the state and our allies in the House and Senate, we were able to restore $4.3 million to the MCC budget.  Massachusetts cultural advocates sent 1085 messages in only 4 days to urge the Senate to restore MCC funding.  Without that advocacy, we may have faced a 57% cut to the MCC.  Now, the MCC budget reduction from FY 09 is approximately 24% and is comparable to most other state agencies.

 

The approved budget eliminated 50 line items and cut funding for more than 800 projects and increased the state sales by 25% to 6.25%.  The budget also increased the meals tax by 1.25% and eliminated a sales tax exemption on alcohol bought in liquor stores as well as a property tax exemption on telecommunications equipment.  Municipalities received the ability through the budget to have a local option to raise their meals tax by up to an additional 0.75% and their local hotel tax by up to an additional 2% to help raise additional revenues. 

 

There were no earmarks for special projects or individual organizations in this budget.

 

Thanks again to all our advocates-you make a tremendous difference.

 

Dan Hunter 

Executive Director

Hathalee Higgs

Development Director

 

Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences & Humanities (MAASH)

MAASH is a statewide organization that serves as a unified voice for the cultural community in Massachusetts. We advocate on behalf of individual artists, concerned citizens and nonprofit cultural and scientific organizations throughout the Commonwealth.  Our members include the largest cultural institutions in the state to the smallest local cultural councils.  Join our mailing list today at www.maash.org.