Legislature approves $30.6 billion state budget

By Michael Levenson, Globe Staff

Lawmakers today approved the state budget after making a critical last-minute change that could ease a $65 million cut in aid to cities and towns.

The Legislature approved the $30.6 billion budget on a 150-2 vote in the House and a 33-4 vote in the Senate, sending it to Governor Deval Patrick, who will have 10 days to review it and issue vetoes.

Despite describing the budget as among the toughest in decades, lawmakers approved a provision that would send up to $65 million of the state’s surplus from the fiscal year that just ended back to local communities in the fall.

Local aid, which pays for senior centers, trash collectors, police officers, and other local services, had already been cut by 32 percent, or $416 million, over the last three years, according to the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

City and town leaders said they were pleasantly surprised that they might be spared another hit this year. But they said it was too soon to know whether there would be enough money in the surplus to completely wipe out the $65 million cut in local aid.

“Essentially, what the Legislature is saying is that if there is a year-end surplus, a portion of that would be shared with cities and towns,” said Geoff Beckwith, executive director of the municipal association, which represents cities and towns. “But the exact nature of whether and how much there is won’t be known until the fall.”

Mayor Thomas G. Ambrosino of Revere said communities would welcome the relief, if it materializes.

“That will be extremely helpful to cities and towns that were suffering,” he said. “It will give people the opportunity to rehire people that have been laid off and restore services that were cut.”