Wakefield Delegation Secures $224,000 for Local Priorities in State Budget

BOSTON—State Senator Jason Lewis and State Representatives Kate Lipper-Garabedian and Donald Wong are pleased to announce that they secured $224,000 for various local priorities in Wakefield as part of the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Massachusetts state budget.

Without raising taxes on residents, the $63.4 billion FY27 state budget is a fiscally responsible blueprint to drive down costs for residents and boost the state's economy. The plan delivers record levels of investments in public education and local aid for cities and towns, unlocks new housing production, strengthens the state’s public transportation systems, and protects vulnerable residents from the impact of federal cuts.

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The budget also reconvenes the Foundation Budget Review Commission to examine the K-12 public school funding formula to assess how the state can support municipalities by addressing rising costs in special education, student transportation, personnel, and healthcare.

Within the FY27 budget, Senator Lewis and Representatives Lipper-Garabedian and Wong secured funding for the following projects in Wakefield:

• $100,000 for restroom construction at Veterans Field.
• $50,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Metro North for the purposes of establishing an innovation center and STEM lab.
• $50,000 to the Wakefield Fire Department for a high-speed washer-extractor and dryer-extractor.
• $24,000 to Wakefield Community Access Television (WCAT) for a new lighting grid.

The Legislature also allocated $9.9 million to support Wakefield Public Schools and $4.4 million of Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) for Wakefield to use as they see fit in their general budget.

“I’m proud that this budget delivers critical funding to our public schools and communities, reconvenes the Foundation Budget Review Commission to investigate new ways to ensure adequate and equitable funding for all school districts, and makes our state more affordable for working families with significant investments in housing, healthcare, and childcare,” said Senator Jason Lewis. “I’m especially pleased that Rep. Lipper-Garabedian, Rep. Wong, and I were able to secure funding for the fire department, WCAT, and other local priorities in Wakefield.”

“The FY27 budget is a powerful reflection of our values and priorities as a Commonwealth, including addressing affordability for residents while protecting our most vulnerable residents from the harmful impact of federal cuts,” said Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian. “In Massachusetts, we recognize the value of public education, as reflected by the implementation of the final year of the Student Opportunity Act. This budget also includes significant investments in affordable housing, healthcare, public transportation, and municipal aid. At the local level, I am proud to have secured $224K in earmarks alongside Representative Wong and Senator Lewis that prioritize these values and support Wakefield residents.”

“We are pleased to have secured these funds for the Town of Wakefield, which will support local improvements and help advance plans to invest in the community as a whole,” said Representative Donald Wong.

The FY27 state budget received final passage from the House of Representatives and Senate on July 1, 2026, and was signed into law by Governor Maura Healey on July 9, 2026.