EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA
Merrimack Valley
Methuen rep. touts "secured" funding for unfunded projects
Published: September 7, 2008
METHUEN — As she campaigns for reelection, state Rep. Linda Dean Campbell has said that the city "secured" $6.5 million from the state during her time in office.
But in fact, the governor's office says the projects she's touting have not actually been funded by the state.
The first-term Methuen Democrat will face fellow Democrat Chris DiBella in the Sept. 16 primary. The winner will square off against City Councilor and independent candidate Joseph Leone in the Nov. 4 general election.
A comparison of Campbell's campaign literature to state finance records revealed several discrepancies.
Campbell disseminated fliers saying that the city "secured" $1 million from the state for drainage improvements on Old Ferry Road and Frye Road this year. The funding was included in bonds, Campbell's flyer says.
But in reality, Gov. Deval Patrick vetoed the spending. Campbell says in a mailing that the veto was overridden, but she acknowledged last week that that's not true.
The House of Representatives has not overridden any of the governor's vetoes of bond bill earmarks. The bond bills were sent to Patrick after lawmakers concluded the formal session on July 31, so the House has not had the chance to override any vetoes, according to Cyndi Roy, communications director for the state Executive Office of Administration and Finance.
Campbell said that when she wrote her flyers, she thought that the House was going to override those items because they already supported the spending.
During a later interview, she said that her mailing arrived in people's mailboxes between Aug. 11 and 13. Patrick wielded his veto pen on Aug. 14, according to state records.
"So what we put forward at the time that we had it was exactly what was in it," Campbell said.
She also said in her campaign literature that she "secured" $250,000 for culvert cleaning on Frye Road and $1 million for improvements to the Route 110/113 rotary. Those items were included in the bond bill, but the state has not allocated any money to pay for them, said Roy, citing finance records.
She explained that legislators can attempt to get money for projects by inserting earmarks into bond bills, but that doesn't mean the state will actually commit to the spending.
Campbell also said the city "secured" $750,000 to restore and renovate the Methuen Historic Museum, and $3.5 million to widen the Howe Street Bridge.
But in fact, lawmakers included $500,000 — not $750,000 — in the bond bill for the museum, and $1 million — not $3.5 million — for the bridge, according to Roy.
Campbell said the figures must have been whittled down in Conference Committee, and she wasn't aware of that when she wrote her mailing.
"When I put it together, I went with what I had, honestly," she said.
Even so, the state has yet to approve spending for those projects, Roy said.
But Campbell defended her statements, saying that being on the bond bill means the projects are in line for future funding.
"In order to get any funding, they have to be earmarked first, and that is a very competitive process," she said.
In addition to the $6.5 million Campbell says the city has secured, she has also touted a $1.2 million increase for the city's school budget and $77,000 in grant money to improve 911 service.
The state uses a formula to determine both of those chunks of change for cities and towns. For example, the 911 money is based on the number of 911 calls received and the population of the community, according to state records.
Campbell agreed that funding is formula driven, but she said, "There's constant debate over what that formula should be."
DiBella released a statement last week calling Campbell's campaign advertisements "shocking and disappointing."
"The good, honest, hardworking people of Methuen deserve a lot better than this," he said. "This is the kind of behavior and disregard for the truth that turns people off and makes them mistrust their elected officials."
