NORTH ANDOVER — The local legislative delegation secured $16.7 million in state funding earmarks for different North Andover priorities as part of the fiscal 2027 state budget.
The $63.4 billion state budget was enacted by the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate on July 1. Gov. Maura Healey signed the budget into law on July 9.
Earmarked funds in the state budget for North Andover include $115,000 for costs related to the replacing the Fire Department’s fire life safety training trailer, $45,000 for security cameras at major intersections, $55,000 for the revitalization of the downtown and Pocket Park, and $20,000 for costs related to robotic lawn mowers to maintain the town’s playing fields.
The state delegation included Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, Sen. Barry Finegold, D-Andover, and Reps. Adrianne Ramos, D-North Andover, and Tram Nguyen, D-Andover.
The state budget is about priorities that will deliver “meaningful investments” in communities like North Andover, Nguyen said.
“We secured $16.75 million in state funding for North Andover to strengthen our schools, support public safety, expand access to parks and food assistance, and invest in the services residents rely on every day,” she said.
“This budget is about delivering real results for the people and communities we represent,” Ramos said. “Fire prevention and public education are just as important as emergency response.
“Replacing this (fire life safety training) trailer will allow the department to continue providing hands-on fire safety education to residents of all ages while giving firefighters a modern, interactive tool to engage students, families and community members.”
Chapter 70 funding for the town includes $13.8 million for North Andover Public Schools and $42.6 million for Greater Lawrence Technical School in the state’s fiscal 2027 budget.
Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) funding is allocated at $2.7 million.
The state budget sets the stage for “important reforms to ensure fair and adequate school funding in the future through the re-establishment of the Foundation Budget Review Commission,” Tarr said.
The commission will evaluate how foundation budgets are calculated and recommend potential changes to the Chapter 70 formula to ensure a more equitable distribution of school funding moving forward. The commission will also look at spending on other education-related programs to see where improvements can be made, such as rural school aid, charter school costs, out-of-district special education costs.
“We must provide opportunities here in Massachusetts for individuals and businesses to thrive, and these initiatives do just that,” Finegold said.