LUDLOW — Ludlow received its share of $100 million in infrastructure funding generated by the “Fair Share Amendment.”
In 2022, Massachusetts voters approved the new 4% additional surtax on income above $1 million. It was recently announced that the state’s 351 municipalities would receive a total of $100 million generated by the surtax to support local infrastructure.
The Fair Share Amendment funds are being distributed according to two formulas. The first $50 million is being distributed using the traditional Chapter 90 formula based on local road mileage, population, and employment. The second $50 million is being distributed using a formula based on each municipality’s share of road mileage.
Ludlow received a total of $376,558 which Town Administrator Marc Strange will positively impact the town.
“Failing infrastructure is a major issue for most, if not all, municipalities. This additional Chapter 90 funding will be helpful,” he said.
This apportionment is automatically incorporated into a municipalities’ existing Chapter 90 contract with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
With costs rising in different areas, Strange said that the cost of materials has increased exponentially so any extra money will help.
Strange added, “With the cost of materials and labor increasing so much over the past few years, even $3 million would not even get us close to where we need to be in terms of repairing roads, sidewalks, bridges. Nevertheless, we are thankful for the additional funding. Every bit helps.”
The amount of money that Ludlow received is extra money that the town has not accounted for in the budget yet, according to Strange.
“We had not projected this funding; so, in effect, this is an additional $376,558 available in our Chapter 90 allocation,” Strange said.
There is no specific project that the money will be used for but Strange said he expects the DPW to have a better idea of how they can use the funds in the spring.
He said, “We have a paving schedule for 2024 that will be funded with Chapter 90 funds. We will likely wait and see if those projects can be completed on budget and, if so, allocate the remaining $376,558 for other projects.”