On a national level, the political scene this past year may have looked chaotic no matter which side you support, but moving over to the state level, local leaders like state Sen. Cindy Friedman, D-Arlington, are reflecting on 2019 accomplishments, and 2020 goals.
Friedman said the peaks of the last year revolve around health care, children’s well being, and fighting hunger, specifically funding allocated to address hunger in Billerica. She said she was pleased to also help provide the Billerica Public School District with $19,348,854 under the 2020 state budget, which is $145,980 more than the 2019 allocation. She added being able to connect with local officials like Town Manager John Curran has been positive. When there was funding available in the budget Friedman said she was able to call Curran, see what the town’s immediate needs were, and offer $66,000 for streetscaping improvements for Billerica roads.