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:
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
