The following is a candidate statement from Lisa Blackmer, who is running for the Democratic nomination in the special election to fill the 1st Berkshire seat this fall.

 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. —  A strong and enduring partnership between our cities and towns and our state government is essential to a healthy and expanding economy and to the ability of local government to provide world-class education and reliable municipal services, ensure safe streets and neighborhoods, and maintain local roads and vital infrastructure. We need increased funding, but we also need to eliminate unfunded mandates. Cities and towns are on the front lines of government services. Because of this, we need to retain local control of issues facing our communities.

 

Adequate funding for municipal and education aid is necessary in order for cities and towns to provide the basic local and school services that the residents of the 1st Berkshire District deserve and expect. We need to mitigate today's overreliance on one of the most regressive of the major revenue sources in the state, the property tax. Despite a tightly capped property tax, municipalities are more reliant on the property tax to fund essential services than at any time in the past 30 years because of Beacon Hill's misguided aid decreases.

 

Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA)

I strongly support increases in the Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) account. Municipal aid was cut deeply during the Great Recession and earlier retrenchments, and has not been adjusted for inflation. It remains below 2008 funding levels. With local aid levels cut so deeply, cities and towns have been forced to increase their reliance on the property tax, which is now at its highest point since 1982. Cities and towns have drained their reserves and decreased the statewide municipal workforce by approximately 15,000 employees.

 

Linking UGGA funding to the growth in state tax revenues would simply mean that unrestricted aid would track the growth in the state's revenue capacity, no more and no less. It would provide cities and towns with our fair share of much needed funds to deliver the vital services that are critical to our overall economic growth, thereby ensuring that today's municipal overreliance on the property tax will not deepen.

 

Payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT)

Our district contains huge swaths of state owned property from state parks, to MCLA, to campgrounds and state forests. I support full funding of the Commonwealth's obligations and commitments to the program for payments in lieu of taxes for state-owned land (PILOT). These funds are critical for the cities and towns that host and provide municipal services to state facilities that are exempt from the local property tax.

 

Senior Tax Work-Off

I support the local option senior tax work-off program that helps lower property tax bills for seniors that volunteer for the community. While in Sandisfield, I reworked and finalized the policy that was implemented to help our seniors help our town.

 

Regionalization

Efforts like the regionalization of Veteran's Services have been successful and are a model for other cooperative plans. The Community Compact has encouraged cities and towns to work together to solve local issues. It has allowed for the combining of services and saved towns money while improving services.

 

I would support legislation and funding to continue programs like Green Communities and Complete Streets.

 

Chapter 90: Infrastructure Reimbursements

Our residents see the real-life impact of our Chapter 90 spending everyday. This essential program helps our cities and towns maintain 30,000 miles of local roads and bridges. The Massachusetts Municipal Association has determined cities and towns need over $500 million to maintain our roads in a state of good repair. I have advocated for the $300-million- a-year approach to Chapter 90 because it would allow cities and towns to plan more effectively. It is important to report this out of committee as early as possible so that communities can plan their road projects.   

 

Resolution to Facilitate Timely Local Budget Decisions

As someone who has worked on local budgets, I understand that cities, towns, and regional school districts need time to prepare and approve forward-looking local revenue and spending plans. I would urge legislative leaders to secure an agreement on the increase in Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) amount for next year and also agree on a new formula for calculating Chapter 70 local contribution and school aid levels. Additionally, I would work to phase-in the Foundation Budget Review Commission recommendations to help ensure our schools have reliable and fair basic funding.

 

Summary

As a board member and past president of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, I have spent the last several years working across the aisle on behalf of cities and towns. Massachusetts is a model of working together that those in Washington should be following. People are tired of the partisan fighting and these are issues we can come together on. This is a critical time for our economy, for cities, towns and local taxpayers. I will continue to fight for the local aid investments and targeted funding for these priorities because Massachusetts will only reach its full potential if all of our cities and towns have the resources to

adequately serve the residents and businesses of the Commonwealth.

 

The author is a candidate for state representative in the 1st Berkshire district. To reach Lisa Blackmer, email lisablackmerforrep@gmail.com or visit lisablackmer.com for more information or to volunteer.