In a frustrating setback to the Commonwealth's climate goals, Massachusetts drivers incinerated 24 million more gallons of gasoline in 2023 than they did in 2022, according to state tax collection data.

That represents the third consecutive year of rising gasoline consumption in the Commonwealth since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The trend undermines the state's climate strategy, which calls for fossil fuel use to converge quickly toward zero in the next two decades.

Those reports show that Massachusetts collected $612 million in fuel taxes in calendar year 2023. At a tax rate of 24 cents per gallon, that implies that Massachusetts drivers bought and burned 2.55 billion gallons of gasoline last year.

 Looking at finance information from MA division local service (DLS) in fiscal year 2024, Templeton spent 43.80% of it's general fund (GF) budget on education, followed by 15.64% on unclassified, 12.94% on public safety. 11.06% on GF debt service, 8.18% on general government, 6.59% on public works and 1.80% on other.

FY2025, GF revenue was 64.80% tax levy (real estate and personal property tax) 16.29% local receipts (vehicle excise tax and fees to town) 9.62% other and 9.29% state aid.

From this, majority of money to run town comes from real estate taxes and most of that goes to operate the school district. Low on the totem pole is fixing, maintaining and building new sidewalks, etc. Funny how that works, the one thing that everyone and everything moves on, the roads, get little funding. Look at capital improvement plan/recommendations, alot of trucks, tractors, etc., not much of anything for roads, bridges sidewalks, storm drainage, etc. Anything on cross walk signage lights, etc.?