EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA

Among the hundreds of millions of dollars in spending Romney vetoed from the state's $25.7 billion budget was $50,000 to repair the roof on the Methuen Senior Activity Center.

When he issued the vetoes Saturday morning, Romney said he was cutting pork and unsustainable spending from a budget that relied on borrowing $550 million from the state's rainy-day fund.

Area lawmakers promised to swiftly override the governor's vetoes, which included $2.6 million to help Haverhill pay off its Hale Hospital debt, before the Legislature's session ends July 31.

Broadhurst, sensing the governor would veto the senior center roof appropriation, inserted the funding request in the budget as a "geriatric safety program" in hopes it would pass unnoticed. It didn't.

Corrine LaCharite, executive director of the activity center, said the center's roof has needed repairs for six years, and it's gotten so bad that this spring's wind and rain left disintegrating shingles on the front lawn. The seniors have raised $5,000 on their own but need state help to do the rest.

"This will make it much more difficult to get these major repairs done," LaCharite said.

Broadhurst said the money isn't pork - it's to help a place essential to area seniors. It serves 400 seniors a day, providing activities, exercise and hot meals.

The Methuen Democrat said he was furious with the governor not only for vetoing the money but for not having anyone in the administration ask what the money was for.

Broadhurst said he'd seek a prompt override.

Rep. Brian Dempsey, D-Haverhill, said he was disappointed the $2.6 million for the Hale Hospital debt money was vetoed because he'd had assurances from administration officials the money would be approved.

"You have a governor ... he's off running for president," Dempsey said. "Unfortunately, he's looking at trying to make statements in terms of broader strokes - I can cut X number of dollars."

In all, Romney vetoed $573 million of the $25.7 billion fiscal 2007 budget the Legislature sent him.

But he also significantly increased local aid to cities and towns, including $216 million in additional Chapter 70 education assistance.

Still, his veto pen struck at scores of line items while eliminating some $112 million earmarked for pet projects and local spending.

One expenditure was $43,700 for Lawrence to buy 26 computers to put at polling places. Rep. William Lantigua said the computers would use a city database to confirm where voters are supposed to cast their ballots.

Voters who show up at the wrong polling place might be sent to more than one other location, get discouraged and not vote, Lantigua said.

Felix Browne, a Romney spokesman, said many worthwhile items were vetoed because the state can't afford to dip into the rainy-day fund - the state's reserve - to finance new spending.

"While some of these projects would be nice to have," Browne said, "the bottom line is the state can't afford them all."

Vetoes can be overridden with two-thirds of the legislators present in both the House and Senate at the time of the vote. State Rep. Michael A. Costello, D-Newburyport, predicted the Democrat-controlled Legislature would have no trouble reversing Romney's vetoes.

Some North of Boston budget vetoes

* Hale Hospital debt $2.6 million

* Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council $300,000

* Methuen Senior Center $50,000

* Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce $50,000

* Newburyport Economic Development Department Jump Start $40,000

* Lawrence election monitors $43,700

* Food for the World Pantry $105,000

* Amesbury Cultural Center $20,000