Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey toured New Bedford Fire Station 9 on Monday, emphasizing the importance of the 92‑year‑old facility to the city’s North End neighborhood. Surrounded by firefighters, union representatives and local officials, Healey said the station is “functional” and that public safety is “job one in government.”
State Funding Targeted to Preserve the Station
Healey highlighted a $1.3 million allocation in her $2.24 billion supplemental budget that the mayor, Jon Mitchell, has pledged to use to keep the station open. The money would flow through the Executive Office of Public Safety & Security’s Municipal Public Safety Staffing (MPSS) program, which provides grant assistance to municipalities facing staffing shortfalls.
Local Fiscal Pressures
New Bedford is wrestling with a $32 million budget gap, prompting the city to consider closing Station 9 this fall. Mitchell has outlined a broader cost‑cut plan that includes eliminating 58 unfilled positions and laying off 34 workers. He also urged the firefighters’ union to accept a reduction in crew size from four to three per truck, a condition he said would be necessary for the station’s continued operation.
Mayor’s Perspective
Mayor Mitchell stressed that the state aid could buy time for negotiations with public‑employee unions, the City Council and the Retirement Board. He noted that long‑term challenges stem from “unrestrained pension and employee health‑insurance costs,” but expressed hope that the supplemental funds would help put the city’s finances on a stronger footing.
Historical Context and Equity Concerns
Mitchell has long argued that New Bedford has been unfairly excluded from the MPSS program, which was created in 2010 and originally limited to municipalities that had previously applied for grants. He pointed out that wealthier jurisdictions such as Newton and Framingham continue to receive allocations, calling the disparity “ironic and inequitable.”
Governor’s Outlook
Healey said she is confident the Legislature will act quickly on the funding request, which appears in section 168 of the 196‑section budget bill. She framed the issue as part of a broader effort to address short‑term funding problems facing cities across the Commonwealth, noting rising health‑care costs and other economic pressures.
Future Funding Mechanisms
The governor also announced plans to expand state grant awards for municipal public‑safety projects and to develop a financing structure for public‑safety buildings modeled on the Massachusetts School Building Authority. “Money doesn’t grow on trees,” Healey said, “but through our bonding capacity we can build more and new public‑safety facilities around the state.”
State legislators will now consider the supplemental budget, and if approved, the $1.3 million will be earmarked for New Bedford’s fire‑station staffing needs, with the city promising to keep Engine 9 in service while seeking ongoing MPSS funding in future budgets.
Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.
