By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — The final Cherry Sheet numbers won’t be official until closer to July 1, but Town Administrator Stephen P. Maio is confident that the figures released as part of the Governor Charlie Baker’s proposed FY 2018 state budget are a good indication of what Wakefield can expect to receive in the form of state aid in Fiscal Year 2018, which begins July 1, 2017.
Named for the cherry-colored paper on which it was originally printed, the Cherry Sheet is the official notification from the Commissioner of Revenue of the upcoming fiscal year’s state aid and assessments to cities, towns, and regional school districts.
The purpose of the Cherry Sheet is to ensure that local budgets reflect realistic estimates of the amount of revenue a municipality and regional school district will actually receive from the state during the upcoming year, as well as the amounts that will be assessed upon local governments to pay for a variety of state or sub-state programs in which they participate.
According to Maio, the estimated receipts that Wakefield can expect from the state in FY 2018 total $9,965,785 – an increase of $444,496 (4.6 percent) over FY 2017.
The largest portion of state aid is in Chapter 70 funding. Chapter 70 is the major program of state aid to public elementary and secondary schools.
The Governor’s budget has Wakefield receiving $6,191,361 in Chapter 70 funding in FY 2018 – an increase of $346,784 over FY 2017.
The Charter School reimbursement, which the state provides to offset some of the money that school districts pay out when students choose to attend charter schools, dropped to $86,597 in the Governor’s budget, down from $137,883 last year.
The total of all education funds Wakefield would receive from the state in the Governor’s proposed budget is $6,277,958 for FY 2018 up $295,498 from last year.
In the General Government section, Wakefield stands to receive $3,365,539 in Unrestricted Aid, an increase of $126,329.
State reimbursement for veterans benefits are expected to increase to $120,805 in FY 2018, up from $107,686 last year.
Wakefield will get $28,550 in reimbursements for forgone tax revenues due to certain types of tax-exempt state-owned land – the same amount as the town got last year.
The amount that the Maio expects Wakefield to receive in reimbursements for property tax exemptions granted to qualifying veterans, blind persons, surviving spouses and elderly persons is $135,642. The amount last year was $127,741.
The estimated amount that the town expects to pay out in state and county assessments is lower for FY 2018 than it was last year. The estimated charges at this point total $1,409,633, a decrease of $163,541
The largest assessment is the amount that the town pays out to charter school tuitions. The estimated amount for FY 2018 is $688,291 down $191,546.
The other big piece on the assessments sheet is the amount the town pays for MBTA charges. That amount is expected to increase in FY 2018 to $579,266 from FY 2017’s $564,040.
“It’s important to remember that this is still the early stages of the process,” Maio cautioned, “but over the last few years municipalities have usually increased what they received from the Cherry Sheet amounts.
Maio said that he was pleased with the increased amounts in state aid and pointed to one factor in the Chapter 70 funding that made a difference. He noted that the state is supposed to pick up 17.5 percent of the town’s foundation budget under Chapter 70 but had only been picking up 17 percent. He said that he and the selectmen pushed the town’s legislative delegation to address that and it appears to have been adjusted in this year’s numbers.
Maio said that the legislature is expected to begin hearings on this early version of the budget next week. He noted that state revenues have been consistent so he is optimistic that the early numbers that the town has received are accurate.
