Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray and Administration and Finance Secretary Jay Gonzalez yesterday announced the creation of a new $4 million Community Innovation Challenge grant program to support innovative regionalization and cost-saving initiatives at the local level.
The program will support efforts by neighboring communities to engage in shared services, inter-municipal agreements, municipal collaborations, consolidations, mutual aid, and regional planning. The CIC grant will provide incentives such as technical assistance, training, and other one-time or transitional funds.
Murray said the new grant program is intended to help communities “develop cost-saving measures and innovative reforms to maintain the delivery of critical local services like education and public safety.”
Ideal projects for the grant program, according to the administration, include those with the potential for greatest impact, high levels of innovation, and substantial potential cost savings for municipalities.
“Our goal with this program is to identify compelling proposals that will help cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth cut costs to preserve core services,” Gonzalez said.
The fiscal 2012 state budget authorized the development of a competitive grant program to encourage regionalization and provided $4 million for regionalization and other initiatives that will improve effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of local services.
Applicants must submit their applications to the Executive Office of Administration and Finance via email by Jan. 15, 2012.
Eligible applicants for the CIC program include municipalities, regional schools, school districts that are considering forming a regional school district or regionalizing services, and regional planning agencies and councils of government.
Regional agencies and councils of governments may also serve as the administrative or fiscal agent on behalf of municipalities.
Applicants will be required to submit a project timeline and detailed budget for their proposal. Additionally, applicants must propose a method to measure and evaluate both the success of implementing the proposed project and the success of the initiative or reform going forward once implemented.
Program contacts are Pam Kocher, director of local policy, and Tim Dodd, program manager, in the Executive Office for Administration and Finance. They can both be reached at CICgrants@state.ma.us or (617) 727-2040.