State Aid — General Government
Money the state sends Fitchburg that isn't tied to schools. Most of it is general-purpose aid the city can spend on anything - police, fire, roads, whatever it needs. The rest pays the city back for tax breaks it's required by law to give veterans, blind residents, seniors, and surviving spouses, plus a little extra for city-owned land the state can't tax and for the public library.
This inched up to $11,514,795 this year, about 4% more than the $11,119,319 it was in FY2025. Put another way: back in FY2019 this made up about 7.6% of total operating revenue - today it's 6.3%, a smaller slice than before.
Computed from this category's own year-by-year revenue recap figures, charted above - see Methodology.
Line Items, FY2026
| Line item | FY2026 |
|---|---|
| General - Unrestricted General Government Aid | $10,739,130 |
| General - Veterans' Benefits | $474,746 |
| Exemptions: Vets, Blind, Surviving Spouse, Elderly | $201,595 |
| General - State Owned Land | $99,324 |
| General - Public Libraries | $143,944 |
| Less: Offset - Public Library | $-143,944 |
| State Aid — General Government, Total | $11,514,795 |
Where It Comes From
The state's yearly budget. Every city and town in Massachusetts gets a breakdown each year - nicknamed the "cherry sheet" because of the color paper it used to be printed on - showing exactly what state aid it's getting and what it owes the state.
Who Controls It
State lawmakers decide the total amount every year. The state then calculates exactly what Fitchburg's share is - the city doesn't get to negotiate or ask for more, beyond making sure it's signed up for the tax-break reimbursement programs it qualifies for.
Rates & Fees
There's no rate to look up - it's a dollar amount the state calculates and sends. You can see every city and town's numbers on the state's cherry sheet page.
Governing law: M.G.L. c. 59, § 5 (property tax exemptions) & c. 115, § 6 (veterans' benefits)
Background: MA Division of Local Services — Cherry Sheets