Street lights, crossing guards, library services cut in Mass. budget pinch
On Sesame Street in Wakefield, there is no crossing guard to help youngsters get to Dolbeare Elementary School. Lawrence firefighters don’t respond to every 911 medical aid call. Andover soon will switch off more than 600 street lights. Teen services have been shelved at the Tewksbury Public Library.
Three months into the new fiscal year, there are no sunny days on Sesame Street or anywhere else in cash-strapped cities and towns. Deep cuts to public services, due largely to the state’s fiscal crisis, are affecting everyday living. Libraries are open shorter hours. What fire stations are open depends on how many firefighters are on duty. There are fewer police patrols on local streets.
“We’ve seen cutbacks in every corner,’’ said Geoffrey Beckwith, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, a group representing cities and towns. “It’s worse than the early ’90s. It will take longer to recover than at any other time.’’
The service cuts have left some local residents feeling the fiscal blues.
“I think it’s lousy,’’ said Steven Bishop, 36, of Tewksbury, watching his daughter, Sarah, 9, play Book Bingo during Heath Brook School Night at the town library. He was most bothered by the temporary closing of the South Street fire station for the summer months, Bishop said.
“That left my neck of the woods without protection,’’ he said. “I was very concerned, not so much about the fire, but the [emergency] medical services.’’
Deanna Johnson, 35, a mother of four, worries about the loss of library and school staff. “It’s too bad there are no more teen services here,’’ she said, as her youngest son searched for a book on the library computer. “The library, and the schools, are important to our family.’’
It could get worse. Governor Deval Patrick announced Friday that September revenues came in $243 million below expectations, which may lead to more cuts in local aid. Patrick said that action was “certainly on the table.’’ Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, thinks emergency cuts may be necessary, noting the “probability has gone above 50-50.’’
“I think, given the scare that September revenues have produced, we may well see some midyear cuts in local aid,” Widmer said. “I’m surprised at how bad’’ the revenues were.
But Widmer sees some signs of hope. State revenues this fiscal year could fall as much as $500 million, he said, but that’s well short of the $2.9 billion last year.
“We’re ending the free fall,’’ Widmer said of steep drops in monthly revenue. “Obviously, every $100 million drop is serious business, but the [declines] every month aren’t going to be what they were last year.’’
Local communities, though, are still reeling from millions of dollars in state aid cuts in effect since July 1, the start of the current fiscal year. In Tewksbury, a 7 percent cut to the library budget forced the layoff of the teen librarian and a reduction in hours, said Jennifer Hinderer, the library director.
“It’s a challenging time for everybody,’’ said Hinderer, who has organized school nights at the library, to reach out to the community during hard times. “We miss our teen librarian. She spent half her time devoted to teen programming. She was available to teens anytime they were here.’’
Other communities have taken steps of all sizes to make up for the cuts. In Wakefield, eight school crossing guards were cut after the school budget was reduced $990,000.
In Lawrence, where the city already has a $10.9 million deficit for this year, the Fire Department closed two stations and cut 10 positions. That’s left the department with three engine companies and one ladder to cover the densely populated city of about 70,000, officials said.
With less equipment available, crews now only respond to major medical calls, such as accidents or reports of a heart attack. “We have to leave enough resources available to respond to fires,’’ said Fire Chief Peter Takvorian. “That’s our core responsibility. We’re trying to serve the community as best we can, with such devastating cuts.’’
Andover is finalizing plans to shut off 628 street lights, a first step in a plan to shave as much as $47,000 annually off electricity costs, officials said.
“We’re laying the groundwork for larger savings in the years ahead,’’ said Town Manager Reginald “Buzz’’ Stapczynski.
About two dozen residents have asked the town to reconsider shutting off lights on their streets. “We’re not doing this alone,’’ he said. “Citizens are saying to us, ‘Please don’t turn off the lights in our neighborhood.’ We are trying to work with people.’’
In Winthrop, local aid was cut $800,000 for this fiscal year. That effectively erased just about one-third of the $2.5 million tax increase voters approved last spring to help save vital services, such as police, fire, and trash collection.
The town so far has not been able to add services. At times, only two police cruisers are on patrol. The Police and Fire departments are each down two positions and the library is only open part time. Winthrop officials are only hoping the state doesn’t order emergency cuts to local aid this year, said Town Manager James McKenna.
“We’re holding our breath that we don’t have to cut any more this year,’’ said McKenna, who has been on the job only since July. “If we do, that is when we will see a serious loss in services.’’
Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com
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