Local cultural officials are bemoaning a decision by Gov. Charlie Baker to veto roughly half of the Massachusetts Cultural Council's budget.

"I think it's disheartening to hear the governor wants to cut the budget for the Massachusetts Cultural Council," said Milford Cultural Council Chairwoman Maggie McIsaac. "Especially in Milford, we do so much with different programs."

McIsaac said her council uses state funding to bring education and entertainment to the senior center, library and schools.

Baker has made about $256 million worth of vetoes to a fiscal 2017 spending plan the Legislature approved. The Massachusetts Cultural Council, which was level-funded at roughly $14 million, will face a more than $7 million reduction unless lawmakers override Baker's veto, according to a press release from the council.

“Gov. Baker was pleased to offer a fiscally responsible budget that continues to increase our administration’s investments in education, local aid and efforts to fight the opioid epidemic, without raising taxes," Administration and Finance Communications Director Garrett Quinn said in a statement. "Despite lower-than-anticipated revenue growth over the past few months, the administration was pleased to work with the Legislature to support funding for public arts programming, local infrastructure in our communities and increases for the Department of Children and Families, all while ensuring state government lives within its means.”

The budget includes a roughly $700,000 increase over fiscal 2016 for Massachusetts College of Art and Design, bringing it from $17.2 million to $17.9 million, according to budget documents

In response to the cultural council veto, 127 lawmakers have signed a letter to House and Senate leadership seeking to override the governor's veto. Local cultural officials say they hope the override movement is successful. It takes a two-thirds vote in the House and in the Senate to override a veto.

If the veto is not overridden, "this budget would cut many of our core grant programs to the bone and likely force us to eliminate some programs entirely," Massachusetts Cultural Council Executive Director Anita Walker said in a statement. "It would cost jobs in our nonprofits, choke off revenue from cultural tourism, and close arts education opportunities for thousands of kids in schools and youth programs across the state.”

In Natick, Steve Levinsky of the Natick Center Cultural District said he worries the district could have to make do with less grant money for public art projects, visiting artists and events.

Levinsky said cultural activities are a form of economic development, bringing people to business areas such as Natick Center.

"I think the MetroWest region is absolutely on a roll with the creative economy ... and I'd hate to see anything that might get in the way of that momentum," he said.

Mary Opanasets, executive director of Performing Arts Center of MetroWest, said she worries the trickle-down effect of reduced state cultural funding could force her to reduce the size of her teaching staff.

Cultural activities, she said, contribute to the region's quality of life.

"Having cultural things in the area makes it worth living here," she said.

Brian Benson can be reached at 508-626-3964 or bbenson@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @bbensonmwdn.