TARR BILL WOULD INVESTIGATE LOCAL AID

4/02/07 

BOSTON- Senate Assistant Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) is seeking to ignite debate on local aid this year with S. 1203, “An Act Relative To Municipal Finances.”  This legislation, co-sponsored by Representative Anthony Verga (D-Gloucester) and Representative Richard Ross (R-Wrentham), would create a special commission to evaluate all current forms of local aid and file recommendations for reform by August 1, 2007.  The bill was the subject of a public hearing in the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government.

 “Our cities and towns are counting on the State to deliver fair and sustainable local aid,” said Tarr, “and we need to explore every available means to deliver it.”  The commission called for in Tarr’s bill would specifically examine the fairness of all revenue sharing with cities and towns, and in particular amounts allocated to similar communities.

 Senate Bill 1203 would engage members of the administration, legislators form both parties, and others in the reform of local aid mechanisms.  Specifically, the committee would include: either the Secretary of Administration and Finance or his designee, the Commissioner of the Department of Revenue or his designee, three members of the Senate, one of which shall be a member of the minority party, three members of the House of Representatives, one of which shall be a member of the minority party, a representative of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, three members appointed by the Governor whom shall represent citizens of the Commonwealth, and three members appointed by the Governor whom shall be elected municipal officials representing geographically and demographically diverse areas of the state.

“We need to begin the process now of ensuring fair local aid for our cities and towns.  Hopefully we can then improve the system in the next budgetary cycle,” said Tarr

                 Representative Verga said, “Hopefully this bill will help us to improve on the current system and help the state to provide fair local aid to all cities and towns.”