Municipal reform bill signed into law
Gov. Charlie Baker signed the bill this morning.
Municipal officials, including several prominent local Democrats, will join Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday when the governor has signed a municipal governance reform package that he has described as a “weed whacking” measure intended make local government more efficient.
The municipal reform bill was one of the six major priorities identified by the governor and legislative leaders heading into the final days of the formal sessions that ended July 31. The House and Senate cuts deals on five of those bills, and the municipal reform bill (H 4565) will be the fourth to get Baker's signature.
“This legislation improves critical components for partnership between state and municipal governments by eliminating or updating obsolete laws, promoting local independence, streamlining state oversight and providing municipalities with greater flexibility,” the governor's office said in an announcement about the State House bill-signing ceremony.
Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera, a Democrat, and Worcester City Manager Ed Augustus, a former Democratic state senator, are expected to be among the local officials in attendance. North Andover Town Manager Andrew Maylor is also exected to speak at the event where the governor will be joined by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Administration and Finance Secretary Kristen Lepore.
The bill, among other things, will reform procurement practices governing how cities and towns purchase goods and services and allow communities to offer tax breaks for veterans and senior citizens by a local vote. The legislation also incentivizes workforce and middle-income housing development, gives cities and towns more control over parking revenue and allows some communities to protect cranberry bogs as farm land.
The signing took place at 11 a.m. On the Grand Staircase.
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