Sudbury Doesn't Win the Lottery

Last month Massachusetts announced how much money each community in the state would be receiving from lottery proceeds. As is often the case for those who play the lottery, Sudbury would have loved to be a big winner, but wasn't surprised when they were not. Sudbury ranked 261 out of 351 communities, receiving about $1.2 million or about $67 per person.

In fairness, Sudbury never really had the chance to win it all (as opposed to the miniscule odds that individuals have), because lottery aid is based on a formula that gives more to less wealthy communities in the commonwealth.

Sudbury, like other towns, will be putting this aid toward the general fund, said Town Manager Maureen Velente. According to Valente the total sum of state aid has come in about $37,000 short of what the town predicted they would get when they made up the budget. She said they hope to close that gap with the addition of the new local tax of .75 percent that will be added on to meals served in Sudbury restaurants (on top of the 6.25 percent already added on by the state."

"We didn't account for the restaurant tax in our budget," Valente says, "so any additional funds we get from it will bring us a lot closer where we want to be."