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Local Aid and Finance Commission studies municipal relief options
A Special Municipal Relief Commission established in July to study alternative revenue sources for cities and towns has scheduled its first public hearing for Dec. 3 at the State House, with additional hearings tentatively planned for different parts of the state.
The 14-member commission is charged with studying the feasibility of new local revenue measures, including a local sales tax on meals, an increase in the room occupancy excise, and other ways to increase revenues and contain expenses.
The MMA is planning to testify before the commission and has already sent a list of key municipal priorities to the commission chairs. These priorities include the authority to adopt a sales tax on meals, expansion and reform of the room occupancy excise, reform of property tax law governing telecommunications company property, changes to bargaining requirements for health insurance, and reform of the charter school law.
The commission is scheduled to publish its first report by Dec. 15.
The chairs of the commission are Sen. Stanley Rosenberg of Amherst and Rep. Paul Donato of Medford.
Other members include Senate Ways and Means Chair Steven Panagiotakos and House Ways and Means Chair Robert DeLeo; Senate Revenue Committee Chair Cynthia Stone Creem and House Revenue Committee Chair John Binienda; Sen. Anthony Petruccelli and Rep. Vincent Pedone, chairs of the Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government; as well as Sens. Benjamin Downing, Michael Morrissey and Bruce Tarr, and Reps. Paul Kujawski, Alice Peisch, and George Peterson.
Local Aid and Finance Commission studies municipal relief options
Commission studies municipal relief options
A Special Municipal Relief Commission established in July to study alternative revenue sources for cities and towns has scheduled its first public hearing for Dec. 3 at the State House, with additional hearings tentatively planned for different parts of the state.
The 14-member commission is charged with studying the feasibility of new local revenue measures, including a local sales tax on meals, an increase in the room occupancy excise, and other ways to increase revenues and contain expenses.
The MMA is planning to testify before the commission and has already sent a list of key municipal priorities to the commission chairs. These priorities include the authority to adopt a sales tax on meals, expansion and reform of the room occupancy excise, reform of property tax law governing telecommunications company property, changes to bargaining requirements for health insurance, and reform of the charter school law.
The commission is scheduled to publish its first report by Dec. 15.
The chairs of the commission are Sen. Stanley Rosenberg of Amherst and Rep. Paul Donato of Medford.
Other members include Senate Ways and Means Chair Steven Panagiotakos and House Ways and Means Chair Robert DeLeo; Senate Revenue Committee Chair Cynthia Stone Creem and House Revenue Committee Chair John Binienda; Sen. Anthony Petruccelli and Rep. Vincent Pedone, chairs of the Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government; as well as Sens. Benjamin Downing, Michael Morrissey and Bruce Tarr, and Reps. Paul Kujawski, Alice Peisch, and George Peterson.
Written by MMA Legislative Director John Robertson
