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Legislative Priorities

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Formal Session Wrap Up: Priorities Passed and Next Steps

On August 27, 2024, the MAPC Government Affairs Team hosted a virtual conversation focused on MAPC's victories in the 2023-2024 legislative session, where other policies landed, and how those in attendance could help to get priority bills back on the move before 2025.

Watch the Recording of the Conversation

The Government Affairs team works to promote smart growth goals at the local, regional, state, and federal levels.

MAPC actively promotes its legislative agenda by working with members of the Legislature on a number of key initiatives. MAPC's priorities come from a variety of policy areas, with a focus on sustainable development initiatives and municipal relief measures to help cities and towns continue to provide quality services with efficiency. MAPC’s legislative priorities are grounded in MetroCommon 2050, Greater Boston’s regional land use and policy plan to make the region more equitable, more prosperous, and more sustainable. Policy changes are one of the core tactics to make this plan a reality.

The team works in collaboration with the MAPC Legislative Committee to develop action items and to advocate on behalf of the members of our regional community. The Committee includes municipal leaders from cities and towns in the MAPC region as well as members of advocacy organizations we work with closely.

Additionally, MAPC is a government research organization. It’s many research studies and publications are widely relied upon by lawmakers and other research organizations.

Questions?

For more information about MAPC's legislative and budget priorities or the MAPC Legislative Committee, contact Government Affairs Director Leah Robins at 617-933-0710 or [email protected].

Send an advocacy letter

Permanent Remote and Hybrid Meetings Advocacy:

MAPC and our municipalities have been deeply grateful to the Legislature for the pandemic era provisions that allow for remote, hybrid, or in-person meeting flexibilities during the pandemic, but these provisions are set to expire on March 31, 2025.

Take Action: Contact your legislators today and urge them to pass a permanent, flexible, open meeting law that will allow municipalities and public bodies to meet in the way that best supports the members and residents.

Send Your Advocacy Letter

Recent News

2024 MARPA-DLS Conference Highlights Statewide Opportunities, Strengths

October 16, 2024

2024 MARPA-DLS Conference Highlights Statewide Opportunities, Strengths October 08, 2024 – Municipal and planning staff from Nantucket to the Berkshires […]

Photo is of the Massachusetts Old State House in Boston historic city center, located close to landmark Beacon Hill and Freedom Trail.

2024 End of Formal Session Legislative Outcomes: MAPC Priorities and Interest Areas

August 6, 2024

2024 End of Formal Session Legislative Outcomes: MAPC Priorities and Interest Areas For questions, please contact Leah Robins, Norman Abbott, […]

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Youth, Local Law Enforcement, Community Leaders Gather for Annual Shannon Grant Summerfest Written by Jenifer Wallitsch, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator August […]

FY25 Enacted Budget Summary

July 30, 2024

FY25 Enacted Budget Summary For questions, please contact Leah Robins, Norman Abbott, Georgia Barlow, or Matt Walsh On July 29, […]

Legislative Priorities

Each session, with guidance from the Legislative Committee, Executive Committee, and regional partners, MAPC develops legislative priorities for the Agency. Throughout the session, MAPC takes positions on additional bills with authorization from our Executive Committee. Jump-to each legislative priority category area below by clicking on them. For more information on the categories, please visit MAPC's MetroCommon 2050 site.

MAPC is advocating for the passage of the following legislative priorities during the 2022-2023 session. Please contact a Government Affairs staff member for more information and how to get involved.

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Priorities on the Move

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MAPC's Top Priorities

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Fiscal and Budget Priorities

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Maker & Exhibition Spaces

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Inclusive Growth and Mobility

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Homes for Everyone

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Climate Change and Resilience

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Equity of Wealth and Health

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Representative Government

Legislative Priorities

Priorities on the Move

The Affordable Homes Act

The Affordable Homes Act

MAPC strongly supports the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s proposed housing bond bill, the Affordable Homes Act. The bill would provide record funding for the Commonwealth’s workhorse housing production programs and for sustainability and resilience improvements in our existing housing stock. The bill also includes more than a dozen policy sections to ensure these investments achieve their maximum impacts.

MAPC strongly supports the following elements of the bill:

Funding

$1.5B for state-funded public housing modernization, including $150M for decarbonization efforts in these facilities (7004-0074)
Workhorse Housing Production Programs

$800M for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (7004-0072)
$425M for the Housing Stabilization and Investment Trust Fund (7004-0073)

$100M for CommonWealth Builder (7004-0081)

Policy

Accessory Dwelling Units By-Right (Sections 12 – 13)
Local Option Transfer Fees (Sections 19 – 20)
Tenant Protection Measures

Office of Fair Housing (Section 10)
Eviction Sealing (Section 47)

We also support the addition of Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) legislation (H.1350/S.880) to the bill before final passage.

The Municipal Empowerment Act

The Municipal Empowerment Act

MAPC strongly supports the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s proposed Municipal Empowerment Act. The bill would modernize local procurement requirements, relieve administrative burdens, and provide new tools to generate revenue, and drive local workforce and economic development.

MAPC strongly supports the following elements of the bill:

Making Permanent Pandemic Era Changes

Enables local option for remote and hybrid meetings in perpetuity.
Enables local licensing for outdoor food and alcohol service without further state approval.
Enables to-go beverage licensing for restaurants.

Modernizing Procurement

Equalizes Ch. 30B thresholds for advertised procurements at $100,000 for all municipal purchasing, not only schools
Enables multi-vendor awards in cooperative purchasing RFPs
Eases procurement and utilization of electric school buses

Modernizing Municipal Governance

Increases maximum bond term on school projects from 30 to 40 years.
Allows 3-year amortization of deficits related to declared emergencies

Local Option Revenue Generation

Establishes a new local option motor vehicle
Increases ceilings for local option lodging taxes from 6% to 7% (6.5% to 7.5% in Boston) and local option meals taxes from .75% to 1%

FY25 Budget

Economic Development

Legislative Priorities

Top Priorities

Regional Transportaion Ballot Initiatives

MAPC continues its long support for legislation that would enable a municipality, or a group of municipalities as a district, to raise additional local money for transportation projects, operations, or transit-oriented development via ballot initiatives.

An Act relative to regional (transportation) ballot initiatives - Filed by Representatives Ciccolo and Lewis (H.2737) and Senator Friedman (S.1828)

Means Tested Fares and Free Fare Transit

SAPHE 2.0

Unlike most states, Massachusetts does not have a county or regional system for public health and instead has a system that differs across all of our 351 cities and towns. SAPHE 2.0’s legislative reforms would allow for these funds to affect more positive, lasting change for our local and regional public health systems than otherwise possible.

An Act relative to accelerating improvements to the local and regional public health system to address disparities in the delivery of public health services (SAPHE 2.0) - Filed by Representative Kane (H.2204) and Senator Comerford (S.1334)

Permanent Remote Meetings

MAPC supports a permanent extension to the remote meeting provisions, which would provide flexibility and maximize public participation.

An Act relative to remote access for public bodies and town meetings - Filed by Representative Driscoll (H.3025) and Senator Gobi (S.2011)

On March 29, 2023, with the signature of Governor Healey, the Open Meeting Law temporary provisions allowing public meetings to be held virtually (or hybrid) were extended through March 31, 2023. Read MAPC's statement.

Governor Healey has proposed making permanent flexibility for public bodies to hold remote or hybrid meetings in The Municipal Empowerment Act.

Online Legal Public Notices

Current law requires a variety of legal notices to be printed in local newspapers. An update to our public notice requirements to allow print or online notices would be easier and more cost effective for cities and towns to implement.

An Act relative to legal advertisements in online-only newspapers - Filed by Representative Pignatelli (H.1723) and Senator Velis (S.1137)

Governor Healey has proposed making permanent flexibility for public bodies to hold remote or hybrid meetings in The Municipal Empowerment Act.

Building Code and Building Decarbonization

MAPC continues to support legislation that will empower municipalities, building owners and residents in reducing emissions from buildings. An Act relative to building energy and decarbonization filed by Representative Meschino and Senator Lewis includes reforms to the building code to address new construction and requires the creation of deep energy retrofits, the creation of a new tier of Green Communities focused on community emissions, and a requirement for building energy reporting and standards to better match incentives with the needs of these highest emission impact buildings.

An Act relative to building energy and decarbonization - Filed by Representative Meschino (H.3192) and Senator Lewis (S.2144)

Housing Data Improvements

While numerous state agencies, most notably the Department of Housing and Community Development, collect and analyze some housing data from communities across the Commonwealth, many important data are not collected, and no central repository exists to make the data available to local and state policymakers. Since 2017, the Metropolitan Mayors’ Housing Task Force has collected detailed data from member communities to monitor progress in achieving the Coalition’s regionwide housing production goal and to inform the group’s legislative and policy goals. In these efforts, it has become clear that, without centralized data, it can be difficult for local leaders to collect comparable data in the housing field. By updating these data requirements, we will help legislators and local policy makers better understand and adapt to constantly changing local and regional housing contexts.

An Act Improving Municipal Access to General Existing Housing Data (IMAGE HD) - Filed by Representative Lipper-Garabedian (H.1349) and Senator Sal DiDomenico (S.865)

Cooperative Purchasing

This proposal would clarify that cooperative purchasing agreement contracts can be awarded to multiple offerors through the request for proposal (RFP) process. This will help to ensure that individual municipalities and other buyers can select the best vendor for each project component, rather than forcing communities to settle for a single vendor more limited offerings simply because they provide all services detailed in an RFP.

An Act to enhance cooperative purchasing opportunities - Filed by Representatives Ultrino and Gentile (H.3117) and Senator Tarr (S.2070)

Add note at close: Governor Healey has proposed similar changes to allow multi-vendor awards in cooperative purchasing RFPs in The Municipal Empowerment Act.

Legislative Priorities

Fiscal and Budget Priorities

State Budget

District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA)

DLTA is a statewide program that enables the 13 Regional Planning Agencies to provide technical assistance to member cities and towns in a variety of areas. This is the single largest source of funding for technical assistance to cities and towns, so it is always a critical line item for MAPC and the other regional planning agencies in the Commonwealth. MAPC is pursuing an increase in funding for this program in the next fiscal year due to the increasing asks that RPAs are receiving for technical assistance and a wide array of needs for technical assistance.

Fact Sheet

Shannon Community Safety Initiative (Shannon Grant)

The Shannon Grant is a statewide grant program supporting youth and gang violence prevention initiatives, including law enforcement, outreach, youth development, case management, mentoring, and employment. MAPC serves as program manager for a regional Shannon Grant serving eight Inner Core communities. Shannon was slow to recover from the cutbacks of the Great Recession, but after several years of increases, we are close to recovering the lost revenue and will continue with that high watermark as a goal.

We are close to recovering pre-Recession funding levels.

Fact Sheet

Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP)

Through a combination of project-based vouchers, which make affordable housing production feasible, and mobile vouchers that people can use to rent apartments anywhere in the state, MRVP helps to move homeless families and individuals out of motels, off the waiting lists, and into decent homes they can afford. It is also a valuable resource for highly cost-burdened households who are paying over 50% of the income for rent. MAPC will continue to advocate for robust funding for the program.

Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT)

This program provides up to $10,000 in assistance over a 12-month period to households experiencing housing instability or are at risk of homelessness. Assistance can be used to pay rental or utility arrears, moving expenses, and in certain cases, prospective rental payments. The program has seen unprecedented demand since the beginning of COVID-19, and with the sunset of the federal Emergency Rental Assistance program (ERAP), received record funding at $150 million. MAPC will continue to advocate for robust funding for the program to keep pace with continuing housing instability, particularly in light of the absence of continuing federal resources.

Healthy Incentives Program (HIP)

Department of Environmental Protecton (DEP)

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)

Local and Regional Grant Programs

We have long advocated for programs that support municipal operations, planning and regionalized approaches to the challenges our communities face. We will continue to work with the Legislature and new Administration to raise awareness of the importance of these programs to municipalities, and advocate for robust supports for local and regional capacity building across our practice areas.

Federal Budget

American Rescue Plan (ARPA)

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)

Legislative Priorities

Fostering Maker and Exhibition Spaces

Ensuring that adequate spaces are available and affordable to support artistic creation and cultural production has emerged as a key issue in our region. Municipalities are currently limited in their ability to intervene to mitigate the loss of cultural and creative space in the region. This legislation would address that and enable cities and towns that adopt the property use definitions to establish trust funds to hold assets and property for the creation and preservation of creative spaces, giving them more tools to keep artists in their communities.

An Act to preserve space for the creative economy - Filed by Representative Cahill (3241) and Senator Liz Miranda (S.530)

Legislative Priorities

Inclusive Growth and Mobility

The policy recommendations focus on investing and expanding our public and active transportation systems in order to support more affordable, reliable, and safer connections to jobs and homes. Reinforcing this direction is the need to use both requirements and incentives to steer new development to places with access to public transportation and the infrastructure to support new growth, and away from critical natural and cultural resources that cannot be replaced. This includes better access to parks and open space, support for public art, artists, and historic preservation, and human-scaled design. Our 2050 Inclusive Growth and Mobility vision.

Transportation Finance Recommendations

Regional Transportation Ballot Initiatives

An Act relative to regional (transportation) ballot initiatives - Filed by Representatives Ciccolo and Lewis (H.2737) and Senator Friedman (S.1828)

Means Tested Fares and Free Fare Transit

Value Capture

Vehicle Miles Traveled

Transportation Network Companies

TNCs have exploded in popularity and now provide both rides, and, increasingly, delivery services. Massachusetts has one of the lowest TNC fee structures in the nation. As we increasingly understand the way that TNCs are impacting the transportation system and contributing to GHG emission, MAPC will continue to support legislation that increases the surcharge, incentivizes shared trips, and encourages ZEV use by TNCs.

An Act relative to transportation network company fees/An Act to reduce congestion and encourage shared rides - Filed by Representative Livingstone (H.1090) and Senator Crighton (S.2108)

Congestion Pricing

Special Assessment Districts

This bill amends existing law (MGL Ch. 23L) that allows private property owners to finance public infrastructure improvements with tax-exempt bonds. The bill reduces the approval threshold from its current 100% of property owners to a simple majority, allows for a greater role for municipalities in the creation and management of the district, and clarifies existing language to ensure investments prioritize smart growth principles.

Transportation Improvement Districts

TNC/Rapid Delivery Data and Fee Structure

MAPC is a leader in research to better understand the impact third party delivery apps like Uber and DoorDash have on our region. MAPC has been successful in advancing efforts to increase Transportation Network Companies (TNC) fees and legislating more robust data collection requirements for personal TNC trips. However, there are currently no requirements regarding the collection of data of deliveries made by third party delivery apps, including TNCs or other food delivery services, nor are any fees imposed for trips that involve meal or home product deliveries.

An Act relative to third party delivery data reporting - Filed by Representative Livingstone (H.3372) and Senator Crighton (S.2367)

Advancing Arts and Culture

Throughout Massachusetts, space for the creation and presentation of art and cultures is diminishing. We have seen this with the recent loss of two spaces in Allston, and MAPC has studied the loss of cultural space in Somerville and make specific recommendations to the city. Early steps to address this issue would be to: 1) create a cultural space restriction definition and category in MGL Chapter 184, Section 31; and 2) enable municipalities to create and preserve creative spaces through a Cultural Space Trust Fund established in MGL Chapter 44, Section 55C. (The legislation noted under Inclusive Entrepreneurship, below, might also help to support arts and culture businesses in certain districts.)

An Act to promote inclusive entrepreneurship and economic justice - Filed by Senator Miranda (S.234)

Creating Public Art

Funding for public art has become a focus of MAPC’s Arts and Culture Department in recent years including the development of best practices for funding public art given municipal fiscal constraints. This bill allocates a percentage of construction costs on any state-owned property, or public funding granted to new construction projects exceeding $200K, towards a public art fund. The fund would be used to create and maintain public art in Massachusetts and would codify the process for commissioning public art, making it easier for cities and towns to engage their residents in developing relevant and inclusive public art for all.

An Act establishing a program for local art and community engagement - Filed by Representative Mary Keefe, Representative Ultrino (3246) and Senator Robyn Kennedy (S.2190)

Legislative Priorities

Homes for Everyone

Our legislative policies focus on producing more multifamily, energy-efficient, and affordable homes in downtowns and close to public transportation (also known as smart-growth locations). Deeper subsidies and support for first-generation homebuyers, especially for BIPOC households, are needed. Much stronger interventions to minimize displacement and discrimination in the housing markets, and especially renter protections, must be prioritized. Our 2050 Homes for Everyone vision.

Housing Data Improvements

An Act Improving Municipal Access to General Existing Housing Data (IMAGE HD) - Filed by Representative Lipper-Garabedian (H.1349) and Senator Sal DiDomenico (S.865)

Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA)

TOPA would allow municipalities the option to grant tenants in buildings up for sale the right to match offers on their building or designate that right to an affordable housing developer. This would create a critical mechanism for municipalities to prevent displacement and preserve the naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) on which many residents rely to stay in their communities.

Access to Counsel

Local Option Transfer Fee

This statewide enabling legislation would allow municipalities with local approval to levy a fee of up to 2% on high value real estate transactions to fund local affordable housing efforts. If passed, the bill would allow municipalities across the Commonwealth to generate desperately needed revenue to produce and preserve the affordable housing necessary to meet residents needs.

Governor Healey proposed similar provisions enabling local option transfer fees in The Affordable Homes Act.

Eviction Sealing (HOMES Act)

This bill would allow those with eviction records to seal those records after the conclusion of their case. In the case of no-fault evictions, the bill would allow sealing immediately upon exhaustion of appeals, while other eviction types would require that a person’s record clear of evictions for a certain period before an eviction could be sealed.

Governor Healey proposed similar eviction sealing provisions in The Affordable Homes Act.

Housing and Environment Revenue Opportunities (HERO)

This bill would increase Massachusetts’ current Deeds Excise Tax from $4.56 per $1,000 to $9.12 per $1,000 to generate approximately $300 million in new annual revenue dedicated evenly to affordable housing, including both production and preservation, and climate efforts, including both resiliency and mitigation.

An Act Providing for Climate Change Adaptation Infrastructure and Affordable Housing Investments in the Commonwealth - Filed by Representative Montaño (H.2894) and Senator Eldridge (S.1799)

Preventing Housing Discrimination

Legislative Priorities

Climate Change and Resilience

We’ll need to increase renewable energy production and energy efficiency dramatically – and quickly – while ensuring access and affordability for Environmental Justice (EJ) populations. We must implement microgrids, energy storage, and reduce peak demand. Electric and gas utility markets will need to support greater decentralized generation, better and more expanded transmission, and much higher levels of renewable energy. We will need resources for deep energy retrofits and higher performance standards for both new construction and renovation of existing buildings. Furthermore, public and personal transportation will need to turn sharply toward an electric future that does not aggravate congestion or sprawl. Our 2050 climate change, mitigation, and resiliency vision.

Building Code and Decarbonization

An Act relative to building energy and decarbonization - Filed by Representative Meschino (H.3192) and Senator Lewis (S.2144)

Clean Energy Financing

Waste Management

MAPC continues to support a suite of bills related to reducing solid waste, a growing cost for communities’ budgets and of great concern for our GHG reduction goals as a state. This includes support for the bottle bill, which would increase the reimbursement rate on single use plastic bottles, a bill that would implement extended producer responsibility shifting recycling and waste disposal costs back to producers, and a bill that would prohibit the use of certain single use plastics following the lead of more than 140 MA municipalities that have passed similar local ordinances.

An Act to save recycling costs in the Commonwealth – Filed by Representative Day (H.779) and Senator Rush (S.572)

Funding to Address Climate Change

Zero Carbon Renovation Fund

A proposal to dedicate $300 million of the Commonwealth’s remaining ARPA funds to building decarbonization through a Zero Carbon Renovation Fund administered by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. The bill would prioritize retrofits in public housing, low-to-moderate income housing, minority and women-owned businesses, and municipal buildings, including schools, to ensure that the most vulnerable populations are not left behind in our transition to clean energy.

An Act establishing a zero carbon renovation fund - Filed by Representative Vargas (H.3232) and Senator Gomez (S.2365)

Natural Gas Transition

Flood Risk Protection Programs

Transportation Climate Resiliency

This legislation would require MassDOT and the MBTA to perform an assessment that would identify the total cost of making MassDOT roadways and the MBTA system climate resilient, including the costs associated with roadway infrastructure improvement to protect again climate threats, incorporating climate resiliency into state of good repair improvements, as well as any new assets that need to be purchased or retrofitted to become resilient.

Green Bank

This would enable Massachusetts to raise funds and prioritize investments to address challenges related to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and ensuring that our transportation system, utility infrastructure, and neighborhoods are prepared for the impacts of climate change. A dedicated revenue stream to capitalize the bank would enable the Commonwealth to leverage emerging federal funding opportunities included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

MAPC Statement on New Climate Bank | June 13, 2023

Legislative Priorities

Equity of Wealth and Health

The policy recommendations particularly in Enable Wealth Creation and Intergenerational Wealth Transfer and Reverse the Rising Rate of Chronic Diseases, particularly among Populations Experiencing Health Inequities will help our region, and the Commonwealth as a whole, to center racial and economic equity as the fundamental focus of recovery and rebuilding. Our policy agenda invests in BIPOC and low-income communities that have faced long-lasting systematic racism and economic exclusion and who were disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Our 2050 Equity of Wealth and Health vision.

HOPE Act

Inclusive Entrepreneurship

An Act to promote inclusive entrepreneurship and economic justice, last filed by Senator Lesser and Representative Cabral, would establish a Small Business District Improvement fund, and allocate 5 percent of receipts from sales from remote retailers. The fund would be administered by MassDevelopment and fund business district management grants in gateway cities or communities where at least 20% of residents are non-white and to cultural or commercial districts whose mission includes serving a community underrepresented in the business community. The bill also includes several improvements to tracking of assistance to minority-owned businesses, and ethnic disparities in employment and business ownership; and requires the division of banks to collect and analyze data on lending to small businesses to assess availability and impact of lending opportunities on minority borrowers.

An Act to promote inclusive entrepreneurship and economic justice - Filed by Senator Miranda (S.234)

SAPHE 2.0

An Act relative to accelerating improvements to the local and regional public health system to address disparities in the delivery of public health services (SAPHE 2.0) - Filed by Representative Kane (H.2204) and Senator Comerford (S.1334)

Artist Workspace Tax Credit

Foster Artist Businesses in Cultural Districts

Early Education and Care

Creating a Massachusetts Public Bank

Currently, municipalities, counties, housing and redevelopment authorities, public retirement systems, regional transit authorities, state and community colleges, and other public entities can deposit their funds into investment pools managed by the Massachusetts Municipal Depository Trust, which invests those funds both nationally and internationally. A public bank would bring some of these public dollars currently invested outside of the Commonwealth back to Massachusetts to help finance local needs, from affordable housing to climate resiliency, on a scale which existing public financial institutions are unable to achieve because of their place outside the banking system.

An Act to establish a Massachusetts Public Bank – Filed by Representatives Connolly and Cabral (H.975) and Senator Eldridge (S.632)

Equal Federal Benefits to Immigrant Taxpayers

When the Federal Government passed COVID-19 relief in March of 2020, the bill included direct stimulus payments to individuals and households to help them offset the negative financial impacts of the pandemic, but it excluded those who filed their taxes using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), thereby excluding many immigrant households. MAPC will advocate for future relief resources available to all who file state and federal taxes, whether with a social security number (SSN) or with an ITIN.

Supporting Historically Marginalized Voices in Arts & Culture

This bill would establish a grant program within the Massachusetts Office of Tourism and Travel to support tourism marketing and promotional expenses for arts and cultural organizations. The fund would prioritize arts and cultural organizations and events that seek to amplify the stories of historically marginalized or underrepresented cultures. By increasing local and regional tourism to more culturally diverse spaces and events, Massachusetts can support economic vitality for everyone.

An Act creating a program to increase cultural equity in tourism promotion – Filed by Representative Pat Duffy (H3244) and Senator Jake Oliveira (S.2194)

Legislative Priorities

Dynamic and Representative Government

Our recommendations for strengthening our local and regional governments include greater collaboration and representation across governments and with institutional and private sector partners. We would like to see more flexibility and joint decision-making to raise funds from regional sources to address regional challenges. And by making government more accessible and a more rewarding experience, new generations of workers and volunteers of all backgrounds will be more likely to work for and participate in their municipal and regional governments. Our 2050 Dynamic and Representative Government vision.

Permanent Remote Meetings

Online Legal Public Notices

Current law requires a variety of legal notices to be printed in local newspapers. Many cities and towns are struggling to reach a local print audience and have seen costs rise to post these notices in larger metro area newspapers now that local sources are all online. An update to our public notice requirements to allow print or online notices would be easier and more cost effective for cities and towns to implement.

An Act relative to legal advertisements in online-only newspapers - Filed by Representative Pignatelli (H.1723) and Senator Velis (S.1135)

Cooperative Purchasing

This proposal, which would be led by MAPC, would clarify that cooperative purchasing agreement contracts can be awarded to multiple offerors through the request for proposal (RFP) process. This will help to ensure that individual municipalities and other buyers can select the best vendor for each project component, rather than forcing communities to settle for a single vendor more limited offerings simply because they provide all services detailed in an RFP.

An Act to enhance cooperative purchasing opportunities - Filed by Representatives Ultrino and Gentile (H.3117) and Senator Tarr (S.2070)

Recent Work

Recent Publications

Metro Mayors Coalition Regional Housing Taskforce

Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: Information Sharing

State of Equity for Metro Boston Policy Agenda Update

Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies (MARPA)

MARPA is a coalition of the 13 Regional Planning Agencies (RPAs) throughout the Commonwealth, including MAPC, that aims to strengthen regionalization and municipal collaboration throughout Massachusetts. MARPA meets monthly and hosts an annual conference at varying locations around the state. For more information, contact a member of MAPC’s Government Affairs staff.

Transportation for Massachusetts (T4MA)

T4MA is a diverse coalition of organizations working together to create safe, convenient, and affordable transportation for everyone. T4MA, of which MAPC is a member, advocates for transportation funds to be spent fairly and responsibly, for transportation decisions that are transparent and accountable, and to ensure that our transportation network has sufficient resources to meet tomorrow’s needs all throughout the Commonwealth.

Metro Mayors Coalition (MMC)

MMC is a group of cities in towns in the urban core of Metro Boston whose leaders gather to exchange information and create solutions for common problems. The municipal leaders in this group represent more than 1.4 million constituents. The MMC is 16 cities and towns including Arlington, Boston, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Melrose, Medford, Newton, Quincy, Revere, Somerville, Watertown and Winthrop. MAPC facilitates and staff the work of the MMC.

The North Shore Coalition

The North Shore Coalition is a group of 18 cities and towns on the North Shore, facilitated by MAPC staff. The Coalition is a voluntary forum where municipal leaders share information and solutions to common problems particular to the North Shore region. The municipal officials in this group represent nearly 400,000 residents from Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lynn, Manchester-by-the-sea, Marblehead, Middleton, Nahant, Peabody, Rockport, Salem, Saugus, Swampscott, Topsfield, and Wenham.

Image is a photo of the members of MAPC's Legislative Committee at an event in 2018.

Meeting Schedule

All meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at MAPC’s offices, 60 Temple Place in Boston.

Membership

Chair
Keith Bergman

Gubernatorial Appointees
Robert Cohen
Sam Wong

Advocates

Oami Amarasingham, Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA)

Casey Bowers, Environmental League of MA (ELM)

Nancy Goodman, Environmental League of MA (ELM)

Kristina St.Cyr, Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations

Emily Jones, LISC Boston

Linda Orel, Trustees of Reservations

Tom Ryan, A Better City

Eric Shupin, Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA)

Subregions

Imaikalani Aiu, MWRC
Julie Barry, NSTF
Rachel Benson, SWAP
Keith Bergman, Chair*, MAGIC
Buzz Constable, MAGIC
Jen Constable, SSC
Heather Gasper, ICC
Lou Gitto, TRIC
Sandra Hackman, MAGIC
Diego Huezo, ICC
Steve Magoon, ICC
Steve Olanoff, TRIC
Ellen Quinn, ICC
Alyssa Ring, ICC
Brian Szekely, NSPC
Charlie Ticostsky, MAGIC
Paul Yorkis, SWAP

MAPC | Government Affairs Team

National Coalitions

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) provides advocacy, education, research, and training for the nation’s regional development organizations. The association and its members promote regional strategies, partnerships, and solutions to strengthen the economic competitiveness and quality of life across America’s local communities. nado.org

National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) serves as the national voice for regionalism by advocating for regional cooperation as the most effective way to address a variety of community planning and development opportunities and issues. NARC’s member organizations are composed of multiple local governments that work together to serve American communities large and small and urban and rural. narc.org

Transportation for America (T4A) is an alliance of elected, business and civic leaders from communities across the country, united to ensure that states and the federal government step up to invest in smart, homegrown, locally-driven transportation solutions. These are the investments that hold the key to our future economic prosperity. t4america.org

Smart Growth America advocates for people who want to live and work in great neighborhoods. Smart Growth America believes smart growth solutions support thriving businesses and jobs, provide more options for how people get around and make it more affordable to live near work and the grocery store. Smart Growth America works with communities to fight sprawl and save money. smartgrowthamerica.org

The Government Affairs team works to promote smart growth goals at the local, regional, state, and federal levels.

Questions?

Page Contents

Send an advocacy letter

Affordable Homes Act Advocacy:

Municipal Empowerment Act Advocacy:

District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA) Advocacy:

Shannon Community Safety Grant Advocacy:

Permanent Remote and Hybrid Meetings Advocacy:

Recent News

Legislative Priorities

Legislative Priorities

Priorities on the Move

Legislative Priorities

Top Priorities

Legislative Priorities

Fiscal and Budget Priorities

State Budget

Federal Budget

Legislative Priorities

Fostering Maker and Exhibition Spaces

Legislative Priorities

Inclusive Growth and Mobility

Legislative Priorities

Homes for Everyone

Legislative Priorities

Climate Change and Resilience

Legislative Priorities

Equity of Wealth and Health

Legislative Priorities

Dynamic and Representative Government

Recent Work

Recent Publications

State Coalitions

Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies (MARPA)

Transportation for Massachusetts (T4MA)

Metro Mayors Coalition (MMC)

The North Shore Coalition

Previous Legislative Sessions

Legislative Committee

Meeting Schedule

Membership

Advocates

Subregions

MAPC | Government Affairs Team

National Coalitions