Xiarhos Secures State Funding for Local Projects

April 27, 2023

BOSTON, Mass. – State Representative Steve Xiarhos (R – 5th Barnstable) is pleased to announce that the House of Representatives has voted to approve significant funding for the towns of Sandwich, Barnstable, and Bourne as part of its Fiscal Year 2024 Budget debate.

The House version of next year’s state Budget includes almost $8 billion of Local Aid for cities and towns across Massachusetts. Importantly, the Budget increases funding for Chapter 70 school aid from last year, dedicating an additional $595.8 million to the Commonwealth’s school districts for a total investment of $6.59 billion. Locally, these funds will benefit communities in the 5th Barnstable District as follows:

Chapter 70 Aid

Barnstable	$24,752,053
Bourne	$5,472,583
Sandwich	$7,508,068

Unrestricted General Government Aid

Barnstable	$2,475,596
Bourne	$1,725,277
Sandwich	$1,326,537

The House Budget also invests $107.9 million for regional school transportation, $506.1 million for Special Education Circuit Breaker reimbursements, and $230.3 million for Charter School aid statewide.

According to Xiarhos, the House Budget also contains funding he requested for several important local projects in the 5th Barnstable District, including:

Xiarhos additionally was proud to be a co-sponsor of funding requests for $150,000 to be expended for shellfish propagation in Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties, and $50,000 for the Buzzards Bay Coalition, Inc. to conduct a coastal water quality and natural resource monitoring program in Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound.

“As State Representative, an important part of my job is to secure state resources to help fund important local projects and programs in Sandwich, Barnstable, and Bourne,” Xiarhos said. “The funds in the Fiscal Year 2024 House Budget will help to bring community projects to fruition and also take pressure off property taxpayers to fund these initiatives. I am especially happy that the House has made an additional investment in education and programs that will help to protect the environmental integrity of Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay.”

Following passage of the House’s spending plan, the bill now will proceed to the Senate for its consideration next month, with the goal of having a final Budget signed into law by the Governor prior to the beginning of the state’s fiscal year on July 1.

About Steven Xiarhos

Steve Xiarhos is a resident of West Barnstable and was elected to serve as State Representative for the 5th Barnstable District in 2020.

Currently, Xiarhos serves as a member of the House Ways and Means committee, which plays a crucial role in shaping the state’s budget and fiscal policies, including laws regarding revenue, and making recommendations on state expenditures. In this capacity, Xiarhos is well-positioned to work on policies that have a direct impact on the economic well-being and prosperity of Cape Cod residents. In addition to serving on the Ways and Means Committee, Xiarhos serves as the Ranking Minority Member on the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, Assistant Ranking Minority Member on the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, and as a member of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery.

Steve Xiarhos spent forty years serving the people of Cape Cod as a member of the Yarmouth Police Department, retiring in late 2019 from the position of Deputy Chief of Police. He also remains active in many charitable and civic causes including, but not limited to, the Nicholas G. Xiarhos Memorial Fund (which was created in memory of Steve’s son, Nick, who was a Marine killed in combat in Afghanistan in 2009).

The 5th Barnstable District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives consists of: the entire town of Sandwich; Precincts 10, 11, and 12 in the Town of Barnstable; and, Precincts 1, 2, 3, 5A, 7 in the Town of Bourne.

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