FITCHBURG — The city won’t receive a boost to its annual Chapter 90 roadway funding this year, the result of a pandemic-related revenue shortfall at the state level.
Fitchburg will receive just over $1,120,000 for fiscal 2021, but was expecting additional money from Beacon Hill.
The Legislature reached a compromise last Thursday to fund Chapter 90 at $200 million for the upcoming fiscal year. The bill requires Gov. Charlie Baker’s signature before the money is distributed to municipalities.
This year’s round of funding comes after the state was forced to scrap a nearly 50% funding increase to the program, which was approved in March.
Commissioner of Public Works Nicolas Bosonetto said the state initially approved a $300 million Chapter 90 authorization for the upcoming year.
It was the result of years of lobbying from both the municipal and private sectors to increase investment in the transportation infrastructure, he said.
“Unfortunately, the commonwealth is now facing a projected $6 to $8 billion shortfall in revenue for Fiscal Year 2021 and municipal transportation funding was deemed an essential sacrifice,” Bosonetto said.
Bosonetto said the program is primarily the source of DPW funds to pave roadways, reconstruct sidewalks, and make bridge repairs and drainage improvements.
Since the increase to those funds was tossed out, there’s not much the city can do this year, he said.
“This amount is only sufficient to rebuild 1 mile of roadway with sidewalks on both sides,” Bosonetto said. “Alternatively, this amount would be sufficient to mill and pave 6 miles of roadway without any sidewalks or drainage improvements.”
Bosonetto said there are more than 210 miles of public road in Fitchburg and about 30 private roads, and it costs the city about $1 million to pave a single mile of road.
Due to inflation in the construction field, the purchasing power of the city continues to decline, he added.
City and town officials regularly request an increase to the annual allocation, which has been $200 million nearly every year since fiscal 2012, when the total state budget was about $11 billion smaller.
According to the Massachusetts Municipal Association, the state would need to spend $685 million per year to maintain, repair and rebuild local roads across Massachusetts.
Mayor Stephen DiNatale has previously argued that the city’s climate and topography alone warrant a funding boost to Chapter 90.
DiNatale said in the past several years the city has appropriated close to $450,000 of available funds to supplant the Chapter 90 funding.
In the past several years, Fitchburg has spent more than $800,000 on new trucks or truck replacements, nearly $100,000 on an asphalt machine, and about $16,000 for personnel or summer help, DiNatale said.
Last year, the city paid $90,000 for software that will help DPW prioritize the roads in greatest need for repairs.
It also unveiled a new $500,000 salt shed in the fall and purchased new equipment to fill pot holes totaling $89,000.
