Here’s What Needham Looks to Get From the FY26 Budget

July 3, 2025
• For the first time in more than a decade, state lawmakers filed their fiscal year budget on time, and state Sen. Becca Rausch and Rep. Josh Tarsky, both of Needham, were part of that process.

Seven years into her tenure, it’s a first for Rausch. The Senate version was finalized in May, and much time and deliberation goes into the budget, she said.

“Budget week is always a really intense, but also fun time in the Senate because we’re all together, and we’re all striving to achieve a common goal. And that’s a wonderful thing for me,” she said. “It’s really exciting to be able to put the budget on the governor’s desk before the end of June.”

As part of the $61 billion fiscal year 26 budget — pending changes Gov. Maura Healey has made — Needham will receive specific allocations, namely:

• $75,000 for an electric vehicle for the town’s Assessing Office
• $50,000 for safety improvements at the Rosemary Recreation Complex’s pool
• $25,000 for upgrades to the Charles River Center’s food preparation facilities
• $14.7 million through Chapter 70 funding for Needham Public Schools

Tarsky, who secured the Rosemary and CRC dollars in the House budget, said those earmarks began with conversations with local leadership, who identified their needs. Tarsky also represents part of Medfield, which is expected to receive $15,000 for renovations to the area around its town hall.

Asked about the timely budget filing, Tarsky said “it’s the responsible thing to do.”

“I think meeting deadlines is a part of good governance,” the first-term representative said. “I’m happy that the rules package has gone through. I’m happy that this budget is at the governor’s desk right now. I think it shows a lot of coordination and collaboration between the two branches and a lot of good negotiating and deal-making in a timely fashion.”

The state budget starts with the governor, who files a budget with the House of Representatives. Then comes the House’s budget, then the Senate’s budget then Conference Committee edits before landing back on the governor’s desk for its final draft.

Rausch, who allocated for the EV on the Senate side, said she expects line-item vetoes by Healey, though it’s unclear what those might look like. The budget includes a $800 million surplus in the event cuts need to happen due to federal actions and uncertainty.

Rausch condemned the Trump administration’s “big beautiful bill,” which she has dubbed the “barftastic blunder bill.” She described the bill as “a horrible stain on the history of this country.”

“I think we can feel fairly confident in saying hundreds of thousands of people in Massachusetts are going to be sicker. Hundreds of thousands of people in Massachusetts are going to be hungrier,” she said. “The tariffs are hurting our economy. Raising the debt ceiling by trillions of dollars is going to hurt our economy, which will result in higher costs and more people out of work. It’s not hard to see what the overarching aspects are going to be, and none of them are good.”

In response to cuts to what she views as an “attack on science” at the federal level, Rausch put forward an amendment to create a scientific research fund with private donors to invest in that work. That amendment, though adopted in the Senate, failed during the conference process.

However, both Rausch and Tarsky expressed satisfaction with the budget’s current form and what they deem as legislative wins for their respective districts.

“We think the budget did a nice job with responsibly spending and increasing the rainy day fund, not touching it. The stabilization fund, actually growing it,” Tarsky said. “I think it’s a very well put together budget that doesn’t increase taxes on residents, and it gives us some safety nets depending on what comes out of Washington.”

Healey signed off on the piece of legislation Friday, making a series of reductions that don’t appear to directly impact Needham.