Transcript Highlights:

• And we've particularly looked to the mountain resort towns in Colorado, these ski towns like Aspen, Vail
• These resort towns in Colorado, these ski towns like Aspen, Vail, and Crested Butte, have successfully
• There's funding that was approved by town meeting voters and the Our Towns Affordable Housing Trust.
• So the town of Chatham has strongly supported this real estate transfer fee at town meeting since 2021
• The town has purchased properties and converted town-owned properties for housing purposes.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held a public hearing on a series of bills focused largely on local-option real estate transfer fees and housing funding tools for communities facing severe affordability pressures. Testimony strongly favored bills for Somerville, Concord, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Chatham, and a statewide local-option transfer fee, with speakers arguing that high-end real estate transactions should help fund affordable housing, anti-displacement efforts, workforce housing, and related capital improvements. Elected officials and local housing leaders described rising rents and home prices, investor activity, shrinking year-round housing stock, and difficulty recruiting or retaining teachers, police, health care workers, and other essential employees. Several witnesses emphasized that the proposals would be optional for municipalities, could include exemptions for first-time homebuyers or seniors, and would direct revenue into local affordable housing trust funds or housing banks. Committee members asked questions about who would pay the fee and whether it could make housing less affordable, and supporters responded that the fees would be targeted at higher-value transactions and designed with local flexibility. For Somerville, the delegation and Mayor Katjana Ballantyne backed both a local home rule petition and statewide enabling legislation, saying the city has already used zoning reform, inclusionary zoning, and local housing funds but still needs a new revenue source to address displacement and investor-driven purchases. For Concord, Representative Carmine Gentile and Concord housing advocates supported a home rule petition and the statewide bill, arguing that a modest fee on sales above $1 million could generate predictable revenue for affordable housing production and preservation. One committee exchange focused on whether the fee would affect most Concord sales and whether it would be passed on to buyers; supporters said the policy was intended to shift costs toward higher-value properties and help leverage other funding sources. The committee also heard testimony on House 4105, which would redirect a casino-related revenue stream to the Healthy Incentives Program. Farmers, advocates, and residents said the current funding was originally intended to support horse racing but has not met that goal, and that the money would be better used to support Massachusetts farmers and food-insecure residents through HIP. In a separate bill, Senator Becca Rausch testified in support of Senate 268, which would create a state-level hostile learning environment complaint process for higher education institutions and potentially strip tax exemptions from colleges or universities found to have such environments; she cited anti-Semitic and transphobic incidents on campuses and argued that existing federal protections should be mirrored in state law. The hearing also included testimony on college tuition debt reduction legislation from Senator Michael Moore, who said the bill would allow a deduction for tuition and fees paid to Massachusetts public colleges and universities to ease student debt and support the state’s workforce. A major portion of the hearing focused on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket housing bank proposals. Hospital, school, housing, planning, and municipal officials from Martha’s Vineyard said the island’s year-round housing shortage is harming health care, schools, and the local workforce, and urged approval of a housing bank funded by a local-option transfer fee. Nantucket witnesses made similar arguments, pointing to a very high median home price, a large seasonal housing stock, and the need for a dedicated revenue stream to preserve and create year-round housing. Supporters repeatedly cited the long-running success of the islands’ land banks as evidence that transfer fees can work without harming real estate markets. Senator Julian Cyr and Representative Thomas Moakley Luddy also backed the Cape and Islands transfer-fee bills, saying the region needs bold action and a sustainable local funding source to address its housing crisis.

Transcript Highlights:

• town Town Tax Collectors we know that town Town Tax Collectors sent<00:55:14.640> it<00:55:14.799
• And again, you have a town-by-town in the packet, and that is it.
• And again, you have a town-by-town in the packet, and that is it.
• And again, you have a town-by-town in the packet, and that is it.
• <01:59:06.840> by<01:59:07.079> Town summarized say like in the town by Town summarized

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Department of Education’s Bureau of School Finance provided an adequacy-funding training for Division II, led by Mark Mello. He walked the committee through the adequacy formula using Albany, Allenstown, and Alton as examples, explaining average daily membership, base adequacy aid, and differential aid for free/reduced-price meals, special education, and English language learners. He also noted a recent change requiring home-education differential aid and emphasized that these aid streams are generally unrestricted district funding rather than money tied to specific students or programs. A major focus was the ongoing litigation over the adequacy base amount and the statewide education property tax, or SWEPT. Mello explained the historical basis of the current base amount, the 2008 legislative report that set the original methodology, and the later court ruling that the adequacy amount should be $7,356, which is now before the Supreme Court. He also described how SWEPT currently raises a fixed statewide amount of $363 million and how that revenue is used to offset the state’s adequacy obligation. For the example towns, Albany and Allenstown receive state adequacy grants because their SWEPT revenue is below their calculated adequacy cost, while Alton is an excess SWEPT community because its local SWEPT revenue exceeds the cost of adequate education. The discussion then turned to the pending “excess SWEPT” issue in the Supreme Court and what would happen if excess collections had to be remitted to the state. Mello said the Department is preparing a hypothetical walkthrough and explained that, if the court upholds the Superior Court ruling, DRA would likely be directed to collect excess SWEPT. Members raised concerns about whether SWEPT must be used for educational purposes and about the cash-flow burden on towns if money had to move from municipalities to the state and then back to districts. Mello and members discussed possible administrative workarounds, such as credits against other state aid distributions, and noted that the committee would continue reviewing the mechanics if the court decision comes down during budget work.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a town clerk from the town of Derry.
• I'm a town clerk from the town of Derry.
• I'm a town clerk from the town of Derry.
• I find it interesting that 0.5% of our voters could... the town moderator in the town of the town moderator
• town<04:52:54.680> of my former town of my former town of Newbury<04:52:56.360> uh

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Town clerks, apologies.
• other town?
• Our election is in town hall.
• Our election is in town hall.
• at Town Hall.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• hall if they are on the right side of the town to be able to get to town hall.
• to be able to get to side of the town to be able to get to town<00:10:21.279> hall.
• I haven't been to that town, but I've discussed that town many times on different projects.
• maintained town roads in Windsor. maintained town roads in Windsor.
• So this is a town road?

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• administrator who is a fantastic Town administrator who is a fantastic Town Administrator<00:23:
• <00:37:28.560> the nhma that focuses on these towns the nhma that focuses on these towns the
• article in your town.
• legislative body uh in a in most towns legislative body uh in a in most towns that<00:43:57.880>
• <00:53:34.880> uh fire district or your town uh fire district or your town uh purchasing<00

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 118 in executive session and adopted Amendment 0882H, which would remove the House and Senate members from the Child Care Commission while leaving the commission in place. Members said the amendment was a continuation of earlier committee discussion and supported it as a needed change. The committee then voted 12-0 to recommend ought to pass as amended, and HB 118 was placed on consent. The committee next considered House Bill 142, dealing with Gold Star Mother’s Day. The sponsor explained that the bill was unnecessary because existing statute already directs the governor to issue a proclamation for Gold Star Mother’s Day and to urge appropriate observance, including flag-related ceremonies. Several members discussed how to ensure the proclamation and flag observance would happen and whether the committee report should note the existing statute. Other members said they would oppose killing the bill because the recognition was important. The committee voted 9-3 to table/ITL the bill, and HB 142 was declared inexpedient to legislate. The final major item was a public hearing on a non-germane amendment to House Bill 456, with a related draft amendment also discussed. The sponsor said the amendment would raise the annual membership allowance from $20 to $75, rename fees as dues, prohibit dues from being used to pay lobbyists, require NHMA dues to be brought before voters as a separate warrant article for transparency, and require separate accounting so lobbying funds are not co-mingled with other funds. Supporters said the goal was to keep taxpayer-derived money from funding lobbying while preserving non-lobbying services such as legal advice and training. Opponents argued the proposal was an overreach and would micromanage local towns. No vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So should it have a fiscal note or not, I am not sure. towns to pay for these and when the when towns
• Um, I live in a small town.
• <01:24:46.360> of examples um and this is the town of examples um and this is the town of
• for town meeting.
• <02:11:47.239> for<02:11:47.440> town towns for town towns for town meeting<02:11:49.719

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• distributed that equipment who the town distributed that equipment who the town or<00:19:35.400>
• He says he would like the towns to decide what they want to do with public property in town.
• baned all the town our town already baned all the town our town already baned signs<01:17:41.639
• town to decide by them.
• We'll start with just towns, so I'll bring up one that is just a total ban in towns, and towns can allow

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• only the excess of a few towns sending only the excess every<01:26:10.719> town<01:26:11.000><
• the town of town finance director for the town of wiam<01:26:57.239> for<01:26:57.400> six
• As soon as you do that, some towns are dramatically reduced and some towns are dramatically increased
• which went down and these five towns which went down and these five towns that<03:39:34.920>
• for Five Towns capacity only for Five Towns yes<03:39:54.840> did<03:39:55.040> you<03

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Funding Committee met to review a large package of bills, with the first four—HB 717, 742, 773, and 603—focused on special education aid, formerly called catastrophic aid. Chair Ladin explained that the committee needed to move a special education bill forward by March 4 and was trying to determine which bill would serve as the vehicle. He described the current formula and the difficulty of estimating the fiscal impact of lowering the threshold from 3.5 times the statewide average cost per pupil to a lower level, noting that DOE did not have reliable data on how many students would fall into the lower-cost bands. The committee also noted that several other bills in the package addressed SWEP and adequacy issues, and that HB 510 dealt with due process rather than funding. Mark Mello of the Bureau of School Finance testified that the department only has reliable data for special education expenditures above $70,000 per student, since claims are submitted for reimbursement at that point. He said the bureau was trying to estimate how many students might fall between 2.5x and 3.5x or 3x and 3.5x the average cost, but that the basic answer was they did not know and that any estimate would be difficult. He explained that moving the threshold from 3.5x to 2.5x would create a minimum additional cost of about $13.6 million based on existing claims, not counting new students who would enter the range. Members discussed whether districts already had the underlying data, whether a survey should be required, and how districts know when to begin tracking costs for reimbursement. The committee also discussed proration and the state’s share of special education aid. Mello explained that the current 80% state share is modeled in the formula, but the actual payment has been prorated because appropriations have not matched the statutory liability; he said the state liability was about $50 million, while the budget had provided $34 million, resulting in a 68% payment rate. HB 742 was described as a bill that would eliminate proration by paying the liability directly from the education trust fund with an overflow mechanism. Members also discussed possible alternatives such as changing the state share, using a lower threshold in a transition period, or requiring districts to submit data. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided; the committee was still in discussion and considering which bills to advance.

Transcript Highlights:

• Warner is a town of just 3,000 people, suffering all the same economic strains as other small towns in
• <00:40:39.920> of the Town of Warner Warner is a town of the Town of Warner Warner is a town
• project but what will it cost the town project but what will it cost the town to<00:41:18.760>
• <00:45:19.880> soccer Bagley field which is the town soccer Bagley field which is the town
• <00:45:38.160> not<00:45:38.319> to<00:45:38.559> divide Town not to divide Town

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• receiving some assistance from the town. receiving some assistance from the town.
• .<02:55:16.000> Um town.
• Um town.
• town that dropped them off at 7-Eleven. town that dropped them off at 7-Eleven.
• I represent the town of Marramac.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Town of Alma for December 31, 2024.
• that are 117 that are towns.
• Why do you want to be a town? Why do we want to be a town?
• Don't forget the small towns. And I'm here to speak for them because I'm a small town.
• It's whether we ought to be a town or not.

Summary: The committee approved the prior meeting minutes and then received updates on delinquent water and sewer reports, including seven new reinstatements and a reduction to four remaining delinquent filers. Staff also reported on municipal accounting code noncompliance, removing Denning and Gum Springs from the 60-day clock after improved records were verified, and presenting repeat findings for Fargo, Lead Hill, Alma, Jericho, and Haynes. Members discussed repeated audit problems, the length of time some issues had persisted, and whether towns should be given additional time or face stronger action; motions were made and adopted to place some entities on a 60-day clock or defer action to later meetings. For Fargo and Alma, staff described extensive repeat accounting deficiencies, including missing budgets, bank reconciliations, financial statements, receipts, journals, and supporting documentation. Fargo’s mayor said the town had been understaffed and was beginning to improve its office systems; the committee voted to defer the matter for 60 days and file the report. Alma’s officials said they were trying to correct water audit and accounting issues, and the committee likewise deferred the matter to the August meeting while warning that water-audit delays could jeopardize turnback funds. The committee then reviewed misuse-of-street-funds findings for Jericho and Haynes. Jericho’s police chief and officials explained that traffic fines, drug-related arrests, and other citations had pushed the town over the statutory threshold, while staff clarified that the speed-trap calculation excludes certain add-on fines and is referred to the prosecuting attorney for any action. Haynes officials said repayment problems stemmed from lost revenue and staffing changes, including the loss of the police department, but staff reported the town remained behind on its repayment plan and also owed the IRS. The committee voted to defer the Haynes matter to September and to defer Jericho as well, with members emphasizing the need for consistency and possible broader legislative review of small-town viability. A special report on the Pulaski County Regional Solid Waste Management District drew substantial discussion. Staff cited findings involving board approval of payroll and contracts, credit card documentation, car allowances and personal vehicle use, competitive bidding, and unusually high advertising spending, as well as the sale of trailers and other equipment at low prices. The district director said the board had delegated authority for many expenditures, that personal use was reported for tax purposes, and that advertising was necessary to educate the public about recycling. Members questioned the procurement and disposal decisions and the size of the advertising budget; after discussion, the committee deferred the report to September and asked the director to return. The meeting also included brief deferred reports on Biggers, Gilmore, and Holly Grove, which were filed after local officials described ongoing efforts to resolve long-standing audit and tax issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:13:23.199> or city town or city town or municipality<00:13:24.920> uh<00:13:25.079
• So, like the town of Pelham, if the town wants it for that specific town, or if there's a particular
• I'm the Derry Town moderator.
• A town can even, if it is a large town, say we don't want to use the device, and if that's the decision
• <00:23:30.520> in that a authority to cities and towns in that a authority to cities and towns

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My town does not have a town manager, for example.
• My town does not have a town manager, for example.
• My town does not have a town manager, for example.
• My town does not have a town manager, for example.
• have a town manager, for town does not have a town manager, for example. example. example.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to the town allocating the state road to the town makes<00:12:53.480> the<00:12:53.639> town
• We approach the town.
• to the town.
• /c><00:27:46.720> days to notify the town the town has 60 days to notify the town the town has
• from my town manager Paul MC and Town from my town manager Paul MC and Town Council<00:37:37.599

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 561, sponsored by Representative Nancy Murphy, which would limit the state’s ability to discontinue, reclassify, or revert state-owned highway property to municipalities without local approval. Murphy and other supporters argued the bill would protect towns from unfunded mandates and prevent property tax increases caused by taking on costly road maintenance. Representative Wendy Thomas, Rosemarie Rung, Merrimack Town Council Chairman Finley Rothhouse, and Town Manager Paul McAuliffe all testified in support, describing the financial burden of the planned transfer of Continental Boulevard in Merrimack and warning it would set a harmful precedent for other communities. The Department of Transportation’s Steve Leon explained the department’s current authority and processes for discontinuance and reclassification, said active highways are not surplus property, and noted that the Supreme Court’s Town of Nelson decision held such reclassifications were not an unfunded mandate. The committee then closed the public hearing on HB 561. The committee next took up House Bill 578, presented by Representative Mooney on behalf of Representative Bill Boyd, to require sound barriers along the F. Everett Turnpike in Merrimack. Supporters said widening the turnpike would increase noise in nearby neighborhoods and that a 2019 NHDOT study identified 17 neighborhoods with noise levels above federal standards, though only four were included for mitigation under the current project. They argued the remaining neighborhoods should also receive relief and cited quality-of-life and property-value concerns. Senator Tim McGuire also testified in support, saying residents were experiencing unexpected and severe noise impacts and urging the committee to act outside the usual criteria to approve the barriers. The transcript provided does not show a final committee vote or action on HB 578.

Transcript Highlights:

• for not only our town and my city<02:38:27.520> but<02:38:28.080> towns<02:38:28.479><
• , if you will, when a person is in a town receiving local welfare and does not live in that town.
• , if you will, when a person is in a town receiving local welfare and does not live in that town.
• the the responsibility of what town. the the responsibility of what town.
• and it refers to the towns um two parts. and it refers to the towns um two parts.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the town wants.
• whatever the town whatever the town wants<00:37:57.280> as<00:37:57.599> two<00:37
• wants as two acres 176 of our 234 towns wants as two acres 176 of our 234 towns are<00:38:01.720
• <00:38:07.119> are ordinance many of the other towns are ordinance many of the other towns
• <01:21:33.639> in<01:21:33.800> my towns that aren't the four towns in my towns that

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• across the state, and cities and towns across the state like East Hampton. impacting cities and towns
• For years, my mother and I have had to move from town to town because rent kept rising, no matter how
• At our special town meeting in June, a majority of town meeting members voted to submit a 25% compliance
• At our special town meeting in June, a majority of town meeting members voted to submit a 25% compliance
• I'm here today as a resident of the town of Marblehead, as well as the town council for other towns in

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government held a long public hearing focused mainly on two sets of issues: proposals to amend or repeal the MBTA Communities Act, and bills to allow local rent stabilization. Committee chairs opened by explaining the hearing would be tightly managed because of the very large number of speakers, with testimony limited to two minutes per person and written testimony still accepted by email. Members and witnesses were called in a mix of in-person and virtual order throughout the hearing. On the MBTA Communities Act, several legislators and local officials argued the law is too rigid and should be revised to account for local conditions. Speakers from small, rural, or infrastructure-limited communities such as Hanson, Halifax, Marshfield, Winthrop, Dracut, Carver, Rehoboth, and others said the law’s one-size-fits-all approach does not fit towns with limited water, sewer, transit access, or buildable land. Some filed bills would repeal the law, exempt certain communities, or create appeals processes based on infrastructure, environmental, or historical constraints. Supporters of the law’s changes emphasized local control and the need to avoid forcing development where communities believe it is impractical or inconsistent with town character. A large portion of the hearing was devoted to rent stabilization legislation, especially S. 1447 and related House bills. Supporters included legislators, city councilors, tenant advocates, labor leaders, housing nonprofits, public health organizations, and residents who described sharp rent increases, displacement, homelessness risk, and the strain on working families, seniors, students, and people with disabilities. They argued local-option rent stabilization would let municipalities cap excessive increases and prevent no-fault evictions while preserving flexibility for local conditions. Opponents, including small landlords and property owners, said rent control would discourage investment, worsen housing quality, burden responsible owners, and drive small landlords out of the market. Some witnesses also supported a Cape Cod/Island transfer fee bill and a suburban infrastructure fund, arguing those would provide local revenue for housing or roads. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• towns also send out You know, the town towns also send out um<01:27:04.800> towns<01:27:05.120
• So town A gets to tell town B who... School boards. So that is what it is.
• :38:43.760> who Town A gets to tell Town B who represents Town B when that person is supposed
• to be coming from Town B and representing Town B.
• It doesn't affect that many towns.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of money that went to small towns.
• I both live in and work for the town.
• town to be able to hire a sustainability director for a town or group of communities.
• It is on town property.
• The significant subsidies provided to Cape towns through a second piece, the Cape Towns Water Protection

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on the Healey-Driscoll administration’s Mass Ready Act, a $3 billion environmental bond bill. Administration officials said the bill would fund climate resilience, clean water, land conservation, parks, PFAS remediation, food security infrastructure, and coastal and inland flood protection, while also streamlining permitting for housing, restoration, and other resilience projects. They emphasized that the bond authorizes spending but does not itself obligate it, and said the proposal includes deauthorizations as housekeeping. Committee members asked about the new Resilience Revolving Fund, flood and drought management, MVP funding, land acquisition, Chapter 61 right-of-first-refusal changes, salt marsh carbon sequestration, and how the bill would help smaller municipalities and offset expected federal funding losses. Officials said the revolving fund would be managed through EEA and the Clean Water Trust, with criteria aimed at directing aid to communities most in need, and noted that drought issues would continue to be handled through existing DEP and drought commission tools. Several committee members and witnesses discussed specific policy provisions, including flood disclosure requirements for homebuyers and renters, expanded authority for regional planning and small-town access to grants, and permitting reforms that would exempt or expedite certain environmental restoration and priority housing projects from more time-consuming review processes. Administration witnesses defended the reforms as a way to achieve the same environmental outcomes faster and with more certainty, while some advocates argued the bill should go further, especially on Chapter 91 and restoration permitting. The administration also described investments in DCR facilities, water and wastewater systems, open space, agricultural easements, and a new focus on blue carbon and salt marsh restoration. Public testimony largely supported the bill. Mass Audubon, the Trustees of Reservations, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, The Nature Conservancy, MAPC, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, municipal officials, and others praised the bill’s resilience, conservation, and water infrastructure investments. Some witnesses urged additional funding for land protection, coastal resilience, buyouts, and restoration, and several called for stronger or simpler permitting reforms. Municipal witnesses from Boston, Beckett, Beverly, Conway, and regional planning organizations stressed the need for flexible financing, especially for small and rural communities facing costly infrastructure and climate adaptation projects. No votes were taken during the portion of the hearing provided; the committee heard testimony and asked questions before moving on to additional panels.