HAMPDEN COUNTY, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - As local communities are left with a multi-million-dollar budget hole. After the state cut off casino mitigation money, if you drive on Park Street in West Springfield or depend on local police response times, this funding could directly impact your daily life.

The writing has been on the wall for a while now as annual funding has been declining. In recent weeks the state has officially pulled the plug on casino money that’s been fixing roads, funding police, and transforming neighborhoods for seven years here in Springfield and surrounding towns like West Springfield.

“When the legislature, you know, came and said, we’re going to allow casinos, you know, gambling in Massachusetts, this was a key cornerstone to gain community support for that prospect. And now they’re walking it back saying, well, I guess you don’t need the money anymore,” said Mayor Bill Johnson of Agawam.

Western Mass News spoke with both mayors of Agawam and West Springfield. They both told us since the casino opened its doors back in 2018 they have been able to use some of the casino mitigation funding to help offset some of the costs for both maintaining and improving public safety as well as some other big ticket items.

“If they have construction programs available, we’ve applied for those, and we’ve gotten about a million dollars, 1.3, for those two different projects. But then this year, like last year, we got a half a million dollars, because they kind of closed it down a bit. This year, we can only apply for up to 135, I believe,” said Mayor Will Reichelt.

Now without casino mitigation funds, improvements like those may be harder for the town to afford. For nearly a decade, casino money has been a game-changer for local communities. $57 million since 2015 statewide and when MGM Springfield came to town in 2018 local cities such as Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, and West Springfield all started to get a piece of the pie. Then in 2024, the legislature changed the rules. Instead of helping local cities, the money now funds statewide priorities.

“So, when they’re done with this round of casino mitigation grants, there will be no more money left in the pot,” we also spoke with Agawam Mayor Bill Johnson who told us Obviously the host city of Springfield and even towns like West Springfield that border the casino will feel the brunt of this lost fund, Agawam Will Also Feel The Burn.

Western Mass News did reach out to Governor Maura Healey for comment but have not yet heard back.

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