HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2808        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1762

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Antonio F. D. Cabral and Andres X. Vargas

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to reform the distribution of unrestricted local aid.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Antonio F. D. Cabral

13th Bristol

1/14/2019

Andres X. Vargas

3rd Essex

1/18/2019

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

2/1/2019

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

1/31/2019

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

2/1/2019

Michelle M. DuBois

10th Plymouth

1/20/2019

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/1/2019

Nika C. Elugardo

15th Suffolk

2/2/2019

Tricia Farley-Bouvier

3rd Berkshire

1/23/2019

Carlos González

10th Hampden

1/30/2019

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

2/1/2019

Stephan Hay

3rd Worcester

1/24/2019

Russell E. Holmes

6th Suffolk

2/1/2019

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

2/1/2019

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

1/31/2019

Eric P. Lesser

First Hampden and Hampshire

2/1/2019

Liz Miranda

5th Suffolk

1/30/2019

James J. O'Day

14th Worcester

1/30/2019

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

1/31/2019

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

1/23/2019

Jon Santiago

9th Suffolk

1/31/2019

Paul A. Schmid, III

8th Bristol

1/31/2019

Alan Silvia

7th Bristol

1/19/2019

José F. Tosado

9th Hampden

1/25/2019

Aaron Vega

5th Hampden

1/31/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2808        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1762

By Messrs. Cabral of New Bedford and Vargas of Haverhill, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1762) of Antonio F. D. Cabral, Andres X. Vargas and others for legislation to establish a commission (including members of the General Court) to study the distribution of unrestricted local aid in the Commonwealth.  Municipalities and Regional Government.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act to reform the distribution of unrestricted local aid.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. There shall be a commission to study the distribution of general local aid in the commonwealth, including unrestricted general government aid, lottery aid as promulgated 394 in section 18C of chapter 58 of the General Laws and additional assistance aid to municipalities. The study shall not include foundation aid as defined in section 2 of chapter 70 of the General Laws.

SECTION 2. The commission shall examine the current formula used to distribute unrestricted general government aid to municipalities, evaluate the effectiveness and equity of said formula and make recommendations to establish a more equitable distribution of unrestricted general government aid to municipalities in the commonwealth. The commission shall review all aspects of general local aid including, but not limited to (a) the current allocation of local aid to municipalities; (b) the reflectiveness of municipalities’ needs in the proportional distribution of the unrestricted general government aid formula; (c) any equity disparities that exist between municipalities across the commonwealth related to local aid distribution; (d) the ability to account for a municipality’s change in population or tax base in a general local aid funding formula; (e) the potential to calculate municipal costs based on a municipality’s need for municipal services and a municipality’s ability to raise local revenue, less a municipality’s local revenues; and (f) any alternative formulas that may create a more equitable distribution of general local aid.

SECTION 3. The commission shall consist of: the secretary of administration and finance, or a designee; the commissioner of the department of revenue, or a designee; 1 member appointed by the state treasurer; 2 members of the senate, 1 of whom shall represent a gateway municipality as defined in section 3A of chapter 23A of the General Laws and shall serve as co-chair; 2 members of the house of representatives, 1 of whom shall represent a gateway municipality as defined in said section 3A of said chapter 23A and shall serve as co-chair; 5 members appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Inc., 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, Inc., 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Inc., and 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts at Boston.

SECTION 4. The commission shall file a report of its findings and recommendations, including any new or revised local aid formulas, with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the chairs of the senate and house committees on ways and means, and the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on municipalities and regional government not later than March 1, 2020.