| | | | |  | | By Kelly Garrity | MUNI MONEY MATTERS — Facing fiscal shortfalls, municipal leaders across the state are trying to raise revenue to keep up with costs for schools and services. But residents in some cities and towns are voting down proposals that would allow their local governments to bypass a state law that keeps them from increasing their property tax levy — leaving city and town local leaders little option but to make cuts to critical public services like schools, police and fire departments. How’d we get here in the first place? While inflation jumped up in the wake of the pandemic, cities and towns were still only able to raise their property tax levy by 2.5 percent without an override vote from residents under the state law known as Proposition 2 ½. “If your levy can only go up by 2.5 percent, and inflation is 8 percent, then you're starting the day off with a 5.5 percent deficit,” Marc Draisen, the executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, told Playbook. Meanwhile, labor costs also rose to meet employees' needs and collective bargaining demands, Draisen said. Some municipalities have been able to plug budget holes with one-time funds or federal aid from the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan. But much of that money is drying up, leaving several communities faced with choosing higher tax bills or the consequences of a budget that can’t support existing services. Melrose residents voted down a roughly $7 million override last week. That means cuts are coming, Melrose Mayor Jen Grigoraitis told Playbook. Without the override, the city is laying off educators, reducing overtime budgets for its police and fire departments and leaving several city positions empty. “The reality is, we have been for the past few years robbing Peter to pay Paul,” Grigoraitis said. “It is a constant balancing act of trying to use an increasingly smaller pot of money to cover increasing costs.” Melrose isn’t alone. Pepperell, Townsend, Hanover, Franklin, Westford, Groton and Dunstable all voted down overrides (which would mean bigger tax bills) in recent months. Braintree residents, meanwhile, approved an $8 million override — the first permanent one the city has passed. Paired with cuts to the city’s budget, the move will help the city address its $18 million budget shortfall, Braintree Mayor Erin Joyce told Playbook. “We were trying to be really thoughtful — we don't want to be back here next year either with cuts, or asking for another override,” she said. Some budget watchers say that municipalities should focus on cutting costs instead of boosting their levy limit. “If some voters think their local leaders have made a compelling case, then they're going to override it. But a lot of times, they don't, because they want the local cities and towns to live within their means,” Paul Craney, a spokesperson for the conservative Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, told Playbook. The state should also increase local aid, Craney argued. But the state is facing its own fuzzy fiscal picture after several months of below-benchmark revenue collections. Gov. Maura Healey’s Municipal Empowerment Act did advance in the House earlier this month — but measures that would allow municipalities to increase meals and hotel taxes don’t seem likely to make it through the chamber, the State House News Services reported yesterday. GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. One day until the presidential debate! Planning any fun ways to watch? Email me with your tips, scoops & debate night game plans: kgarrity@politico.com. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll host a celebration for the Massachusetts ClimateTech Leaders at 10 a.m. at the State House and attend the grand opening of the new Moderna Headquarters at 1:20 p.m. in Cambridge. Driscoll speaks at a Salem Pantry breakfast at 8 a.m. and chairs a Governor’s Council meeting at noon at the State House. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu hosts a coffee hour and participates in a ribbon cutting at 9:30 a.m. in Dorchester. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio joins “Talk the Talk” on WHMP Radio at 10:05 a.m.
| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.
Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY. | | | | | |  | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | — “House to end 'equity theft' in foreclosure sales,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “House lawmakers are poised to approve a proposal to stop ‘equity theft’ from property owners who fall behind on their local taxes, which comes in response to federal and state court rulings that deemed the practice unconstitutional. The bill, which is teed up for a vote in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, would establish a process allowing delinquent property owners to claim “excess equity” during foreclosure sales by local governments.” — “Massachusetts Senate approves bill to expand reliance on renewable energy,” by Steve LeBlanc, The Associated Press: “The Massachusetts Senate approved a bill Tuesday aimed at expanding the adoption of renewable energy in a bid to help Massachusetts meet its climate goals, including reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Supporters say the proposal will help lower utility bills by directing providers to offer discounted rates to consumers with low and middle incomes and give the state more flexibility to negotiate contracts with providers. The bill would also ban ‘competitive electric suppliers,’ which cost Massachusetts consumers more than $577 million over the past eight years, according to a report from the state attorney general’s office. The companies have argued that they can help consumers save money and purchase renewable energy.” RELATED — “Claims of natural gas job losses because of Senate climate bill are ‘misinformation,’ Dem says,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald. — “Sit. Stay. Play dead? In a first, Mass. medical examiner to deploy dog-like robot in death investigations,” by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: “The robot dogs are coming — this time, for the dead. A dystopian reality this is not. In what is believed to be a first, the Massachusetts medical examiner’s office plans to deploy a dog-like robot dubbed Spot at its Boston office, where officials say it will assist in the remote examinations of bodies but can also help transport equipment and tools and even patrol the facility off-hours to ‘deter trespassing.’ The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner bought the Boston Dynamics robot for $270,000 last month, and expects it to arrive in ‘several weeks,’ state officials said. The robot won’t replace humans, and is ‘intended to be an operational enhancement,’ according to the agency.”
| | FROM THE HUB | | BOSTON’S BUDGET BATTLE — When the Boston City Council faces its final budget vote today, all eyes will be on Mayor Michelle Wu’s closest allies to see if any of the three councilors she boosted on the campaign trail will break with mayor and vote to override the budget all three supported initially. The Boston Herald has more on how the power struggle is playing out so far. — “A Walk Down the Block: Is a bus lane redesign the development that Mattapan Square needs?,” by Paris Alston, GBH.
| | YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS | | WESTCHESTER WIPEOUT — New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman was trounced in Tuesday night’s Democratic primary for his suburban New York seat, the first loss for a Squad member since the progressive group formed in 2018. Bowman had the backing of Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, one of the group's original members, plus support from other high-profile progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The pro-Israel lobby AIPAC spent more than $14 million on TV ads to unseat Bowman, making the race one of the most expensive primaries ever — a warning shot to other progressives who have been critical of Israel’s war in Gaza. But that doesn’t mean someone like Pressley should be sweating. “At the end of the day, if someone has a solid base and is in tune with their district, all the money in the world is hard to beat an incumbent,” former Obama adviser David Axelrod pointed out on CNN Tuesday night. My colleagues in New York have the recap. — “The lingering effects of long COVID: Domb hosts second briefing on the topic,” by Alexander MacDougall, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “It knocked Netia McCray out of work for two years, and it took all of that time for doctors to give her an official diagnosis — she was suffering from long COVID. McCray, the director of Mbadika, a Boston nonprofit that provides resources for students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math, told those gathered at a virtual briefing on long COVID held by state Rep. Mindy Domb, D-Amherst, on Tuesday that the illness impacted other aspects of her daily life beyond her work. … Domb called the virtual briefing — the second such gathering this year — to hear what public health officials and health care administrators had to say about the lingering effects of long COVID on Massachusetts residents and what the state could do to address inequalities that result from it.”
| | | | Understand 2024’s big impacts with Pro’s extensive Campaign Races Dashboard, exclusive insights, and key coverage of federal- and state-level debates. Focus on policy. Learn more. | | | | | | | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | — “City receives more money for Lowell High rebuild,” by Melanie Gilbert, The Lowell Sun: “The city of Lowell received another installment payment from the Massachusetts School Building Authority for more than $8 million — part of its $252 million portion of the almost $400 million Lowell High School rebuilding project. The latest payment brings the total MSBA reimbursement amount to more than $130 million.” — “Peabody council passes $197 million budget,” by Caroline Enos, The Salem News: “The City Council passed a $197 million budget for fiscal 2025 Thursday night. It’s a 5.4% increase from last year’s budget, with a rise in municipal health insurance costs, inflation, increased fixed costs and the end of emergency pandemic era aid all making this year’s budget process particularly tough, Mayor Ted Bettencourt said.” — “Former GNBVT guidance director pays $10,000 state penalty for conflict of interest,” by Frank Mulligan, The Standard-Times: “Heather Larkin, former Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School guidance and pupil personnel services director, has paid a $10,000 civil penalty for violating the conflict of interest law. Larkin contracted with her friend and business partner to provide services to the school, using the school’s resources to promote her private business event, and through other actions, according to a press release from the state Ethics Commission.” — “Fall River's new veterans' agent has lived through PTSD, homelessness,” by Jo C. Goode, The Herald News.
| | MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND | | — “Poll: Biden holds single-digit lead in RI; McKee job approval slumps to 36 percent,” by Ted Nesi, WPRI: “President Biden is down to a single-digit lead over former President Trump in Rhode Island, according to a new survey released Tuesday, while Gov. Dan McKee’s job approval rating has taken a hit. … The poll shows a surprisingly close race for president in Rhode Island, a reliably blue state that has voted for the Democratic nominee every four years since 1988. The survey shows Biden at 40 percent, Trump at 33 percent and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at 12 percent, with about one in 10 voters undecided.”
| | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH | | TRANSITIONS — Robin Juliano is now policy director for House Minority Whip Katherine Clark. She previously was staff director for the House Appropriations Committee and is an Obama NEC and Barbara Mikulski alum. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former Lynn state Rep. Robert Fennell, Southwick state Rep. Nicholas Boldyga, Gloucester state Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, Mattapoisett state Rep. Bill Straus, Kait Castillo, former MassGOP spokesperson Emmalee Kalmbach, Democratic strategist Adam Webster of Castle Point Partners and Adam Zieminski of Cafe Adam in Great Barrington. Happy belated to Erik Lin-Greenberg, who celebrated Monday. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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