March 11, 2024 - In late February, MAPC attended both the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government and the Joint Committee on Revenue to support the Municipal Empowerment Act, S.2571 that was filed by Governor Healey. MAPC is in strong support of this legislation that will help municipalities raise critical funds, create greater efficiencies, and streamlines programs so that municipalities and their staff can better support our residents.
MAPC was joined at the hearing by colleagues from Regional Planning Agencies across the Commonwealth, and municipal CEOs in the MAPC region.
At the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Governments hearing, Lizzi Weyant, Linda Dunlavy, Executive Director at FRCOG and MARPA Chair, Kevin Hartunian, Topsfield Town Administrator, Leon Gaumond, Weston Town Administrator, and Keith Bergman, MAPC Legislative Committee Chair and MAPC Past President, all shared the broad support for the policy changes to ensure that municipalities can streamline services that they provide. As Lizzi Weyant shared, "I am here to tell you as a municipal planning nerd that we are REALLY, REALLY pumped about this bill.” She went on to add, that in particular “we were incredibly grateful to see the proposal to make permanent several of the COVID-era flexibilities, including those focused on remote and hybrid meetings, and outdoor dining.”
In the Joint Committee on Revenue hearing, Marc Draisen, Mayor Ballantyne, Mayor of Somerville, Jeff Walker, Executive Director SRPEDD and MARPA Vice Chair, and Tony Barletta, Nahant Town Administrator expressed support for the local option taxes proposed in the legislation. Marc Draisen shared that "We are strongly in support of this legislation, it includes many specific elements, both monetary and non-monetary that MAPC, Metro Mayors Coalition, and North Shore Coalition have supported and recommended for a number of years.”
MAPC is in strong support of the legislation, and in particular the sections outlined below.
Making Permanent Pandemic Era Changes:
- Enabling local option for remote or hybrid meetings for public bodies in perpetuity.
- Enabling local licensing authorities with local approval to grant approval for outdoor food and alcohol services without further state approval.
- Enabling restaurants to access licenses to sell to-go alcoholic beverages.
Procurement Updates:
- Equalizing Ch. 30B thresholds for advertised procurements to $100K for all municipal purchasing, not just schools.
- Removing the requirement to post certain contracts on COMMBUYS.
- Amending cooperative purchasing language to make it easier for municipalities to select multiple vendors to fulfill an RFP.
- Updating procurement language to make it easier for municipalities to procure and utilize electric school buses.
Municipal Governance:
- Increasing the maximum bond term for school projects from 30 years to 40 years.
- Allowing municipalities to amortize over 3 years any deficit related to a declared emergency.
- Allowing municipalities to enter joint cooperative services for local financial officials.
- Allowing municipalities to enforce the statutory prohibition on keeping double poles up after 90 days after passing a local ordinance. Penalties up to $1,000 could be imposed per occurrence.
Local Option Taxes:
- Establishing a new local option motor vehicle excise surcharge of 5%.
- Increasing the ceiling for local option lodging tax from 6% to 7% (and 6.5% to 7.5% in Boston) and local option meals tax from .75% to 1%.
Please contact your legislators and let them know that you support this important legislation. You can use this advocacy template to draft an email.