Lynn employee layoffs ‘more than probable’

LYNN – Gov. Deval Patrick said Friday he would cut $128 million in lottery aid and additional assistance to cities and towns next week, putting a number to long anticipated local aid reductions he says are needed to close a $1 billion deficit in the fiscal year 2009 state budget.Patrick also warned municipalities to expect cuts in local aid in fiscal year 2010, saying he would reduce funding by $375 million, or 7.1 percent, in the so-called general government fund, which will combine lottery and additional assistance next year.The governor did not specify how much money would be cut from individual cities and towns this year, leaving the details of the cuts a mystery until his formal announcement next week.In making the cuts, Patrick will stay true to his vow not to slash Chapter 70 education funding, holding the $3.984 billion line item for the remainder of fiscal year 2009 and through fiscal year 2010.”Funding Chapter 70 at FY’09 levels in the face of our current fiscal crisis is about ensuring that we don’t sacrifice tomorrow’s promise during today’s downturn,” said Patrick.While leaving Chapter 70 money untouched ensures the bulk of Lynn’s school department funding – $117,607,718 will remain – Mayor Edward J. Clancy Jr. could still cut funding in its portion of the schools budget – the city spends roughly $107,800,000 for schools – depending on the amount of local aid taken from the municipal budget.”I need more information. I am still waiting to hear from the mayor because a big part of our funding comes from the city,” said Superintendent Catherine Latham. “If we only used Chapter 70 money I would feel real good about it, but we don’t.”Leaving aid to schools untouched and cutting the two aid accounts that fund city services could translate into a 9.7 percent cut to cities. Those cuts would be on par with ones cities absorbed in February and March 2003 when former Gov. Mitt Romney cut local aid.The 2003 cuts triggered 36 firefighter layoffs in Lynn and cuts in other city departments, notably the city library.Clancy on Friday said city budget makers, in reckoning the new cuts, will “try as much as we can to stay away from direct service providers: The teacher in the classroom, the cop in the car, the firefighter on the back step. But that’s where the money is,” he said, adding that city employee layoffs are “more than probable.””I’ll entertain anything to avoid it but it’s going to hurt,” he said, adding budget crafters will have a better idea Monday, moving forward into next week, how the cuts will be absorbed into the city budget and, by extension, city operations.He said talk of federal help for municipalities, if the assistance materializes, might help reduce the impact of aid cuts announced for the fiscal year that begins July 1.Revere was forced to absorb $1.1 million in aid cuts in 2003. Mayor Thomas Ambrosino said municipal aid cuts could total $1.2 million in the wake of Patrick’s announcement.”I’ll announce layoffs and City Hall hours reductions in two weeks,” he said Friday, adding that 12 city jobs left vacant in anticipation of aid cuts could offset an anticipated 20 layoffs, leaving the city with eight potential layoffs.”All the cuts are coming on the municipal side of the ledger. Schools are being held blameless which is good news. It would be devastating,” Ambrosino said.Like other Massachusetts communities, Revere potentially faces steeper cuts in the spending year that starts July 1. State Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein said a cut of that magnitude means the Legislature needs to revisit slot machines as a revenue source. In keeping with action she has taken in past years, Reinstein has filed a bill allowing slots to be placed at racetracks, including Suffolk Downs and Wonderland Greyhound Park.She said slot revenues coupled with an increase in the amount of money Patrick wants to give cities and towns from rooms and meals taxes could offset aid cuts.”I certainly hope if we are going to talk about taxes we need