Though none of the members gave voice to it Monday, the conference committee will likely have to construct a consensus fiscal 2018 budget with a lower bottom line than originally projected. Watch: Conference committee on fiscal 2018 budget convenes “I think all of us together will work very hard over the coming weeks to not only really drill down on our revenue picture and projections going into FY18 but also to, I think, put together a document that is fiscally responsible, one that recognizes that it is important to focus on both the long-term and the short-term,” Dempsey said. Stephen Kulik of Worthington and Republicans Rep.

Led by Spilka, an Ashland Democrat, and House Ways and Means Chairman Brian Dempsey, a Haverhill Democrat, the committee also includes Democrats Sen. Charlie Baker pointed to as a clarifying moment when State House leaders will have a better idea of how fiscal 2017 will end up, and what it could foretell for fiscal 2018. The Department of Revenue is expected to announce tax revenue collections for the month of May later Monday, an announcement that Gov. “We will work to remain responsible fiscal stewards of the commonwealth’s taxpayer dollars while upholding the commitments that we all made to the residents, to our communities and to those across the commonwealth.” “We know that there are uncertain fiscal times and we will be learning more about what the situation is as this week progresses,” Senate Ways and Means Chairwoman Karen Spilka said. The most recent estimates suggest collections this fiscal year could miss the current benchmark by between $375 million and $575 million. The negotiations commence as lawmakers and the Baker administration deal with fiscal 2017 tax collections that have fallen significantly short of projections, and amid acknowledgments that revenue projections used to build the House and Senate fiscal 2018 budgets are unlikely to hold up. BOSTON - Negotiations on the fiscal 2018 state budget kicked off Monday as six lawmakers huddled behind closed doors to begin resolving differences between the House and Senate’s roughly $40.3 billion spending plans, deliberations that could be more pivotal than usual this year.Īfter meeting for three minutes in open session, the conference committee voted to continue discussions in closed executive session until producing a compromise budget, which is due by the end of the month.

Tewksbury school closed january 5 2017