Baker Proposes State Budget Focused On Savings

Wednesday, the Baker-Polito administration revealed the details of their $38.1 billion FY2016 budget. Seeking to overcome a structural deficit, which at $1.8 billion, represents nearly five percent of the total budget, the Governor doubled down on cost-saving measures rather than raising taxes, increasing fees or drawing from the state's rainy day fund.

Baker, who has repeatedly emphasized that the Massachusetts government must start to live within its means, filed a budget that holds spending growth to three percent, even while revenues are projected to climb to 4.8 percent as the economy continues to grow. To balance the budget, Baker relied on $750 million in savings from MassHealth, a tax amnesty program, and $573 in one-time revenue streams, among other sources.