Municipal

Patrick's desire to level-fund local aid may be the best case scenario with some state legislators and the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation predicting that local aid will be cut by 5, 10, or as much as 15 percent for fiscal year 2011, he said.

"That would be the biggest thing the state can do to help municipalities deal with their enormous fiscal problems,'' said Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, said taxpayers would wring $5 million more "worth of work" from state and city of Boston employees by repealing the paid days off.