BOSTON – The Senate Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures, and State Assets chaired by Senator Brian A. Joyce held a hearing on the General Government Bond Bill, which contains a number of grant programs and authorizations for state and municipal buildings and properties including a $7 million spending authorization for the Stoughton Public Library. Senator Joyce also plans to include language authorizing up to $1 million for the State Theatre.
“These grants can inject critical funding into communities, allowing them to revitalize business and cultural areas, attract new employers and enhance the quality of life,” said Joyce.
The Stoughton Public Library already has been approved for $7 million through a program overseen by the Board of Library Commissioners. A spending authorization for the funds included in the bill will be the last hurdle to get the funds distributed to the town. The State Theatre authorization contemplated by Joyce would need to be approved and released by the administration, but Joyce is hopeful that the local non-profit theatre will receive at least $500,000 as a matching grant.
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The bill also outlines potential state spending authorizations on buildings and properties overseen by the state, recapitalizes grant programs for municipal cultural facilities, and fund investments in public safety systems and equipment. In the hearing on the legislation, Senator Joyce continued to voice his concerns about controlling the state’s levels of debt and promised to keep working as a member of the Debt Affordability Committee to reduce the burden on current and future Commonwealth residents.
