Amendment #357 to H4100

Municipal Regionalization Incentives

Representatives Benson of Lunenburg, Koczera of New Bedford, Winslow of Norfolk, Ashe of Longmeadow and Conroy of Wayland move to amend the bill in Section 2, in item 1599-0026, in line 1, by inserting after “municipal improvements;” the following: ";provided, that no less than $2,000,000 shall be transferred to the division of local services and shall be expended for a multi-year competitive grants program to provide financial support for one-time or transition costs related to regionalization and other efficiency initiatives, with allowable applicants to include municipalities, regional schools, school districts considering forming a regional school district or regionalizing services, regional planning agencies and councils of governments; and provided further, that regional planning agencies may also serve as the administrative or fiscal agent on behalf of municipalities; provided further, that funds may be expended to reimburse municipal infrastructure improvements incurred in fiscal year 2011 and 2012; provided further, that $2,000,000 shall be transferred to the executive office of public safety and security for a competitive grant program to be administered by the office; provided further, that the grants shall be awarded to communities that: (i) have a population of at least 65,000; and (ii) demonstrate that its police department had an operating budget per capita of less than $200 in 2010; and"; and in said item by striking out the figures "$5,000,000" and inserting in place thereof the figures "$8,000,000".