This is great news. I’m sure many would love to see the Select board require all town boards and committees to take advantage of this new law and have all meetings be held in a hybrid manner to increase civic engagement among residents.
I also hope that our motor vehicle excise taxes do not increase, as we are already being taxed to death in this town. Sarah Postlethwait On Tue, Feb 11, 2025 at 10:31 AM Elder, Peggy <eld...@lincolntown.org> wrote: > *February 10, 2025* > > > > *The Lincoln Select Board Applauds the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s > Support for Municipalities.* > > > > At its February 10th meeting, the Select Board voted unanimously to voice > its support for the *Municipal Empowerment Act* *(MEA)* and the > Healey-Driscoll Administration’s proposal to increase Chapter 90 funding > for roads and bridges. > > > > As was stated by the Board, “The Municipal Empowerment Act would ensure > public access to town governance by permanently allowing remote and hybrid > board and committee meetings, simplify town operations by reforming bid > laws, and give Lincoln additional options for local revenue. In addition, > the significant increase in Chapter 90 funding would allow for preventive > road maintenance and safety upgrades” > > The Municipal Empowerment Act is a package of municipal reforms developed > with input from cities and towns that is designed to streamline operations, > ensure access to municipal government, and generate resources to maintain > vital services. Its proposals include permanently enabling hybrid public > meetings, reforming and simplifying procurement rules, addressing long-term > benefit funding pressure by reviewing Other Post-Employment Benefits > (OPEB), and allowing additional ways to generate local revenue. > Additionally, it includes several provisions to help local officials > improve public health and lower costs. > > > > The bill empowers municipalities to generate more local revenue by > allowing options to increase the local meals tax and motor vehicle excise > bills. The primary way we are able to raise revenue in Lincoln is property > taxes, and the MEA would give an optional set of revenue tools for us to > consider. > > > > The filing of the MEA comes after Governor Healey filed a Chapter 90 bill > that invests $1.5 billion in local roads and bridges over five years, a 50% > increase in annual support for municipal infrastructure. Under the > proposal, Lincoln would receive $441,355, which is a 65% increase over last > year. This additional funding would help support roadway safety projects > that are part of the Lincoln Transportation Coalition’s 5-year plan ( > https://lincolntown.org/DocumentCenter/View/97895/fiveyearplan). > > > > Please consider joining the Select Board in its support of the Municipal > Empowerment Act by contacting our legislative team: > > - State Senator Mike Barrett: mike.barr...@masenate.gov or > 617-722-1572 > - Precinct 1 State Representative, Carmine Gentile: > carmine.gent...@mahouse.gov or 617-722-2810 > - Precinct 2 State Representative, Alice Peisch: > alice.pei...@mahouse.gov or 617-722-2783 > > > > *Kimberly Bodnar, Chair* > > > *Jennifer Glass Jim Hutchinson* > > > > ====================================================== > > > > Peggy Elder > > Administrative Assistant > > to the Select Board & > > Town Administrator > > Town of Lincoln > > T Direct 781-259-2601 > > D Email eld...@lincolntown.org > > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > >
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