CHARLEMONT — State Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. Natalie Blais fielded questions on rural school aid, potential recreation taxes, affordable housing and more during a recent public forum attended by roughly 20 residents.
The “ReMarks and Refreshments” forum at Charlemont Town Hall, one in a series of forums that Mark is organizing in an effort to reach all 57 communities he represents in the Senate, also allowed the public to offer comments on opportunities and challenges facing the region.
“It’s very important to have these discussions where people can just come in and talk about their concerns,” Blais told the Greenfield Recorder. “It helps make sure that we’re doing our jobs.”
Friday’s conversation began with an update on rural school aid. Mark explained how last August, Gov. Maura Healey signed a budget for fiscal year 2024 that provided an extra $9.5 million for rural school aid compared to fiscal year 2023’s numbers, which stood at around $5.5 million.
With the rural school aid line item now standing at $15 million, Mark said Healey has proposed that this number “act like a baseline” even though “we’re looking at a tougher revenue year.”
