By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — Now that the FY 2022 state budget has been passed and signed by Gov. Charlie Baker, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue this week released the final Cherry Sheet numbers for local cities and towns.
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.
For the current fiscal year, Wakefield is slated to receive a total of $11,096,573 in state aid, up from last year’s figure of $10,766,614.
This year’s receipt total includes $6,846,919 in Chapter 70 aid to public schools. In addition, the town will receive $258,593 in charter school reimbursements for a total of $7,105,512 in education funding from the state.
The Cherry Sheet lists Wakefield’s share of Unrestricted General Government Aid at $3,702,591 for FY 2022. The state will also reimburse the town $88,453 for veterans benefits. In addition, Wakefield will receive $109,885 to reimburse the town for property tax exemptions granted to qualifying veterans, blind persons, surviving spouses and elderly persons. A total of $52,031 will be coming to the town as reimbursement for forgone tax revenues due to certain types of tax-exempt state-owned land.
The total for all general government state aid coming to Wakefield for FY 2022 will be $3,991,061.
On the flip side, Wakefield will be paying the state $1,926,674 in assessments and charges for programs and services the town participates in.
Of that amount, $612,522 will be paid by the town to the state for MBTA services.
Wakefield will be assessed $9,851 as its portion of the costs incurred by the Department of Environmental Protection in monitoring air pollution levels and enforcing air quality standards at industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities.
The town will pay $14,900 for the Metropolitan Boston area planning district to promote urban planning.
A sum of $20,680 will go to reimburse the Registry of Motor Vehicles for “marking” a license or registration for non-renewal due to non-payment of parking violations, motor vehicle excise and non-payment of abandoned vehicle costs.
The Cherry Sheet lists $57,339 for pupils attending another school district under school choice. School choice tuition charges are assessed against the sending district and paid to the receiving school district.
Charter school sending tuition is listed as $1,211,265 for Wakefield pupils attending charter schools. Charter school tuition charges are assessed against the sending district and paid to the charter school district.
Town Administrator Stephen P. Maio said that there were no big surprises in this year’s Cherry sheet. He was however, a little disappointed that the the town did not receive more of an increase in Chapter 70 funds. He said that he hoped that the state would increase that amount in the fall.
