Gov. Vetoes Measure Making Attleboro a 'Gateway City'

The city of Attleboro will not be receiving increased funding for education and economic development, at least not in the near future. Gov. Deval Patrick on Tuesday signed the state legislature's economic development bill, but he rejected an amendment that would have adjusted the standards to qualify for Massachusetts' Gateway Cities program so that Attleboro could be included.

The action was met with harsh criticism from Attleboro's representatives in the state House—George Ross and Betty Poirier.

"By vetoing a provision which would have allowed Attleboro to become Massachusetts' 25th Gateway Community, Governor Patrick has dealt a severe blow to a city that wants nothing more than to regain its economic edge," the representatives said in a joint statement emailed to Attleboro Patch.

[Ross and Poirier's complete statement is attached to this article.]

Patrick's website states he rejected the measure "in order to preserve the limited funding available for targeted communities."

The portion of the bill approved by the governor includes a statewide sales tax-free holiday for this coming Saturday and Sunday.