Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Dear Senator,
On behalf of the cities and towns of the Commonwealth, the Massachusetts Municipal Association wishes to express its strong support for the provisions offered in S. 2424, An Act Relative to Municipal Relief, which would provide municipalities with new areas of opportunity and flexibility to help balance local budgets and operate more effectively.
In particular, the MMA extends appreciation to Senators Panagiotakos, Rosenberg and Eldridge, and all of the legislators who have contributed to and led the process of developing this legislation as well as the wide range of recommendations contained in the bill generated by the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government and the Special Commission on Municipal Relief.
S. 2424 contains the following key MMA-supported measures that are extremely time sensitive:
Pension Repayment Funding Schedule Extension (Section 23), providing for a 10-year extension of the pension repayment schedule, from 2030 to 2040, to help amortize unprecedented asset losses experienced during the previous two years.
Municipal Early Retirement Incentive Program (Section 66), which creates an optional municipal early retirement program, requiring both executive and legislative approval.
Public Safety and Public Works Mutual Aid (Section 33), which establishes both a local-option public works mutual aid program for day-to-day maintenance and operations and a broad-based emergency assistance mutual aid program.
Pension System Reforms (Sections 14-19), which would implement important changes to inspire renewed confidence in the public retirement systems, and offer long-range savings and common-sense policies.
We respectfully and urgently ask you to take no action at this time on the issue of municipal health insurance plan design reform when you consider this Municipal Relief legislation and the state budget in the next two weeks. The MMA and local officials are engaged in discussions with key stakeholders in this matter, with the hope of making progress over the coming weeks. As these are understandably sensitive discussions, it is in the best interest of all that this dialogue be allowed to continue without disruption. This continues to be the MMA’s top priority, and meaningful legislation must pass this year in order to provide relief for communities and taxpayers. We will continue to work with you and your colleagues and other stakeholders, as this measure must receive legislative action during this session.
As you know, the municipal relief legislation before you contains many components of the bill initiated by the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government. There are many amendments to augment S. 2424 with additional provisions from the Joint Committee’s bill, and to offer some new ideas. With 114 amendments, it is clear that you and your colleagues are making this legislation a priority, and the consideration of issues will be wide-ranging, including relief and improvements in the administration of the open meeting law, ensuring that mandated ethics training be focused on key employees, securing the timely notification of local aid, and many other important concerns.
The MMA supports the following specific amendments, and asks you to include these proposals in your final bill:
Amendments #18, #42, #78 and #109 sponsored by many Senators that would provide an exemption from the state’s gas tax for cities and towns.
Amendment #19 filed by Senator Hedlund that would return excess profits from Chapter 40B projects to the host municipality.
Amendments #22 and #23 filed by Senator Eldridge that would improve and expedite local borrowing procedures.
Amendment #26 filed by Senator Menard that would allow automated traffic control monitoring systems in cities and towns, an important public safety option for localities.
Amendment #35 filed by Senator R. Moore that would modernize property tax law to provide for the separate taxation of condominium development rights.
Amendment #49 filed by Senator Tisei that would exempt small municipal construction projects of under $1 million from the prevailing wage mandate.
Amendments #52 and #53 filed by Senators O’Leary and Downing that would adjust the threshold that requires a payment bond for public construction projects to $25,000, lowering the cost of very small construction projects.
Amendment #67 filed by Senators Donnolly, Timilty, Tarr and Jehlen that would allow cities and towns to enforce the removal of unsafe and unsightly double utility poles.
Amendment #94 filed by Senator Creem that would achieve tax fairness by limiting the special property tax exemption for machinery owned by telecommunications companies.
Amendment #103 filed by Senator Rosenberg that would transfer eligible municipal retirees into Medicare.
Amendments #112 filed by Senators Rosenberg and Tucker and #64 filed by Senator Spilka that would prorate health insurance premiums for future part-time municipal employees based on the number of hours worked.
The MMA opposes the following amendments because they would weaken the legislation or impose new burdens on cities and towns, and asks you to vote against these proposals:
We oppose Amendment #30. This amendment would strike the language in Section 57 that authorizes cities and towns to use electronic billing. The amendment would replace this helpful option for communities with a study.
We oppose Amendment #43. This amendment would strike Section 31 of the Municipal Relief Bill that ensures a municipal decision to enter into an intermunicipal agreement or join a regional entity shall not be subject to collective bargaining. It is essential for this provision to remain in the bill in order to regionalize many services, including emergency dispatch. Regionalizing services should be a decision made by the elected officials in a community, and should not be subject to negotiations.
We oppose Amendment #44. This amendment would strike Section 64 that is intended to provide needed relief by increasing the procurement thresholds under which cities and towns can use sound business practices and written quotes for small projects. This amendment would block this very helpful change to update the thresholds.
We oppose Amendments #58 through #60. These amendments would strike several helpful changes that would add flexibility and efficiencies in borrowing and leasing statutes.
We oppose Amendment #107. This amendment would strike very helpful sections of the bill that would modernize property tax and assessment administration.
The MMA appreciates your consideration and passage of this legislation. Across the Commonwealth, municipal leaders look forward to the package’s swift passage so that they can utilize these tools, resources and efficiencies as they navigate an extremely difficult and painful local budget season.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Geoffrey C. Beckwith
MMA Executive Director