The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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DEVAL L. PATRICK GOVERNOR TIMOTHY P. MURRAY LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Executive Department State House  ·  Boston 02133 (617) 725-4000

February 9, 2007.

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives:

   Pursuant to Article LVI, as amended by Article XC, Section 3 of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I am returning to you for amendment House Bill No. 2015, “An Act Authorizing the Town Of Wellesley To Establish A Group Insurance Liability Fund.”

This bill would authorize the Town of Wellesley to assess taxes in excess of the two and one-half percent  levy limitation provided in M.G.L. c. 59, § 21C, for the purposes of funding the town’s Group Insurance Liability Fund, as established under chapter 88 of the acts of 2004, provided that the town approves of this by referendum.  Unlike the amended version of this bill that passed last session, however, as enacted this bill does not specify that the town intends to treat the amount as a temporary capital expenditure exclusion, rather than a permanent override where it would become part of the levy limit base.  Absent this amending language, the bill is ambiguous.

 I, therefore, recommend that House Bill No. 2015 be amended by including at the end of Section 2 the following language:-

Adjustments to the town’s limit on property taxes shall be computed as though the town has passed capital outlay exclusions under paragraph (i ½ ) of section 21C of chapter 59 of the General Laws.

Moreover, because chapter 88 of the acts of 2004, already established a Group Insurance Liability Fund for the Town of Wellesley, I recommend amending the title of the bill, to accurately reflect its purpose with the following language:-

“An Act Authorizing Additional Funding of The Group Insurance Liability Fund For The Town of Wellesley.”

Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                       DEVAL L. PATRICK,

                                                                 Governor.