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How Legislators’ Late Session Scramble affects Government Transparency
/0 Comments/in Blog: Transparency, Featured, News /by Eric SporelNow that there has been sufficient time for experts and the media to review the various bills that the 189th General Court passed in its “Race to Recess”, it’s time to focus on the process itself. The late session scramble to pass legislation thwarted meaningful government transparency. The 189th Massachusetts General Court ended on July 31st, with legislators voting on a handful of vital pieces of legislation. At the end of a two-year cycle, both chambers of the legislature were able to pass comprehensive regulations for transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft, and come to consensus on the amount of hydroelectric and wind power use in the Commonwealth and pay equity legislation, should be praised. Deliberations came down […]
DCAMM Leasing Responds to Agency Needs
/0 Comments/in Better Government, Blog, Blog: Better Government, Transparency /by Cameron RohallThe Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) is a state agency tasked with, among other responsibilities, managing workspace for state employees. This role encompasses the administration of state office buildings, but also includes the management of the Commonwealth’s leases of privately owned buildings. The agency leases facilities across Massachusetts – and beyond – for the use of the state’s many agencies, from the State Police to the Board of Library Commissioners. DCAMM’s portfolio included 467 separate lease agreements at the end of FY 2015, for buildings in 86 of the Commonwealth’s 351 municipalities, in addition to New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC. All states make use of a combination of owning and leasing to satisfy their needs, and […]
What do Property Taxes Mean for your Town?
/0 Comments/in Better Government, Blog: Better Government, Blog: Economy, Blog: Education, Blog: Transparency, Housing, Middle Cities/ Urban /by Thejasa JayachandranEarlier this year, the Boston Globe published an article comparing the average percentage of change in the property tax bills of owners of single-family homes in Massachusetts municipalities between 2016 and 2012. Unsurprisingly, most municipalities experienced a net increase in their bills, varying from 2% to 33.1%. However, there are a handful of mostly Western municipalities that actually saw a decrease in their average annual bill. The increases or reductions tend to correlate with a municipality’s choice to increase property taxes within the Proposition 2 ½ cap, override Proposition 2 ½, pass debt exclusions or reduce budgets. Property taxes are the major source of funding for municipal budgets, making up a significant portion of spending for school and town services. […]
Community Policing: A Success Story?
/0 Comments/in Better Government, Blog: Better Government, Blog: Transparency, Police Reform /by Thejasa JayachandranBoston, the city on a hill, has always been defined by its history, commitment to education, and diverse immigrant communities. Today, it should be considered an example of successful community policing as well. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, community policing “is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime.” Nationwide, this policing model has become increasingly popular among law enforcement agencies. A report, released by the President’s Taskforce on 21st Century Policing, states that community policing reduces the crime rate because it builds trust between the community and […]
Opioid Usage in Massachusetts: A Painful and Tragic Trend
/0 Comments/in Blog: Transparency, News /by Eric SporelIn March, Governor Baker signed An Act Relative to substance use, treatment, education, and prevention into law. Its ultimate goal is ending the opioid epidemic that currently plagues Massachusetts. The bill unanimously passed both chambers of the legislature. It is clear that both the Governor and the legislature see the imperative to act immediately on this issue. Just three years ago, there were fewer than 700 opioid-related deaths. According to the Department of Public Health, there were 1,526 opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts. Current estimates lead legislators to believe that there were nearly 12,000 incidents that emergency responders responded to regarding opioid use , with as many as 12,982 units of naloxone (Narcan) being used to treat those cases. Currently, Massachusetts […]
Town Residents Clash with Developers over Chapter 40B Housing Law
/1 Comment/in Blog, Blog: Better Government, Housing /by Will KauppilaM.G.L. Chapter 40B, Sections 20 through 23, (commonly referred as Chapter 40B) is a Massachusetts law that has been on the books since 1969. The law permits developers to override local zoning laws, and move forward with construction when they include subsidized units in their developments in municipalities where less than 10 percent of available housing is considered affordable. The statute’s goal is to make housing more readily available for lower-income families. However, as prices in the conventional housing market have steadily increased, other challenges have emerged. Chapter 40B’s original intent was to spur the development of multifamily and affordable housing units in suburban and rural parts of the state. Once a municipality can claim at least 10 percent of […]
Key takeaways from new ride-for-hire legislation
/0 Comments/in Blog, Blog: Better Government, Blog: Economy, Economic Opportunity, Featured /by Matt BlackbournThere is, fortunately, no major cause for concern in the bill produced by the state lawmakers that labored through the closing hours of the legislative session this past Sunday. They succeeded in finalizing a balanced piece of legislation to regulate transportation network companies (TNCs). With approval and signing from Governor Baker, Bill H.4570 will become law. Offering arguably the most comprehensive regulatory framework for TNCs among all states nationwide, the bill lays out a number of provisions that would help to ensure innovative companies like Uber, Lyft and Fasten can continue to operate in the Commonwealth without overly burdensome restrictions. Importantly, the legislation would also establish a ride-for-hire task force to review current regulations governing taxis, livery service providers and TNCs, with […]
What to expect with all-electronic tolling
/0 Comments/in Blog, Blog: Better Government, Blog: Transportation /by Scott HallerThis blog is a summary of the changes an all-electronic tolling system will bring to the state. For a more in-depth look at this topic, please read the full length report, Driving Innovation: Tolling and Transponders in Massachusetts. This fall the Massachusetts Turnpike will transition to an all-electronic tolling system (AETS), meaning drivers will not have to stop or slow down to pay tolls. Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) officials say that an AETS will yield cost savings, reduce accidents and pollution, and save drivers time. Toll booths along the Turnpike will be removed, and new gantries (under construction for the last few months) equipped with sensors and cameras will take over from toll-takers. All drivers will remain at normal driving […]
Could Bus Rapid Transit Be the Future of Public Transportation in Boston?
/0 Comments/in Blog, Blog: Better Government, Blog: MBTA, Blog: Transportation /by Will KauppilaAs the Greater Boston Area continues to grow, it is important to plan future public transportation infrastructure to keep up with increased demand. In determining its vision for transit in the future, the MBTA has given careful consideration to new forms of transit that meet the demands of today’s commuters. One mode of transit that’s been especially prominent in this conversation is Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). In 2013 the MBTA began working with officials from the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP) to explore the possibility of bringing high standard BRT to Boston. BRT can be defined as a large-scale, fully integrated metro bus transit system. The MBTA helped form the BRT Study Group, which sought to determine where […]
Casino Revenue Projections: A Roll of the Dice?
/0 Comments/in Blog: Better Government, Blog: Economy, Blog: Transparency /by Thejasa JayachandranAs the Wynn Resort Casino breaks ground in Everett tomorrow, many predict a booming casino industry in Massachusetts. However, if the Commonwealth’s history with casinos says anything, we should proceed with caution. Plainridge Park Casino, the initial Las Vegas-style slot parlor in Massachusetts, finished its first year of operations in June. As reported in the Boston Globe, its performance fell well short of its projections. When Penn National Gaming won the bid for this casino, the company projected revenue hitting $300 million in the first year. When they closed the books in June, the casino barely nudged past the halfway mark with sales of only $160 million. What does this mean for Massachusetts? In 2011, Massachusetts legalized casino gambling with […]
No Ban for TNCs at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
/0 Comments/in Blog, Blog: Better Government, Blog: Economy, Blog: Transportation /by Eric SporelWhile there has been much discussion about whether or not transportation network companies (TNCs) should have access to Logan International Airport, another location critical to transportation service providers, the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC), has been an equal consideration for lawmakers. The parties involved in this debate are paying close attention to the conference committee that is currently revising the legislation. After both chambers of the legislature failed to reach a conclusion on House bill H.6064, with the House in favor of banning TNCs from the Boston Exhibition and Convention Center, and the Senate dissenting, it is not clear which direction the revised legislation will take. A comprehensive review of the legislative history for this bill shows the many […]
Shrinking Margins at the Massachusetts State Lottery
/0 Comments/in Blog: Better Government /by Prasanna RajasekaranLast week, the Massachusetts Lottery triumphantly announced that, for the fifth straight year, it set a new record for annual revenue and profit. But the details of its financials paint a different picture. For fiscal year 2016, the Lottery generated sales of $5.231 billion, up from $5.014 billion last year. Yet that led only to a $1 million increase in profit – from $985.9 million to $986.9 million. If its profit increase corresponded with its revenue increase (about 4.3%), the Lottery would have netted over $1.028 billion, $41.1 million more than its actual profit. So why the lower profit margin? The bulk of the Lottery’s expenses are prizes, which are the total winnings for all players in a given year. […]
Newly Proposed Theater Tax Credit All-Too Familiar
/0 Comments/in Blog, Blog: Better Government, Blog: Transparency /by Will KauppilaAs Pioneer reported earlier this summer, there have been questions surrounding the viability of incentives provided by the Massachusetts film tax credit since its inception in 2006. It was adopted to attract motion picture production companies by offering them generous tax breaks for filming on location around the state. In exchange, the companies are expected to create industry jobs for Massachusetts residents, and spur local investment and growth. While there has certainly been a recent uptick in big-budget film productions, much of the revenue produced is going out of state, and taxpayers are not seeing a reasonable return on their dollars. A recent Boston Globe editorial also echoed the pitfalls of the film credit, supporting the conclusion that it has […]
Pool Time and Part-Time
/0 Comments/in Blog: Better Government, Blog: Transparency /by Thejasa JayachandranIt’s official; we’re in a heat wave. Earlier this month, Governor Baker and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) announced that until August 19, public pools and athletic complexes will have extended operating hours. Going into effect across 20 locations for the second year in a row, this initiative is meant to provide Massachusetts’ children with access to recreational resources during school vacation. As Governor Baker stated, “Extending the hours of operation for these urban facilities will provide a safe location for families to enjoy the season, while promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.” For July, the selected public pools will be open until 8:00 PM on Tuesdays. In August, the pools will be open until 7:30 PM on […]
Fewer Employees, More Space: DCAMM’s Leasing Strategy
/0 Comments/in Better Government, Blog, Blog: Better Government /by Cameron RohallFor most public and private entities, space is the second-largest administrative cost, after personnel. Discussion of personnel costs often overshadows other administrative cost debates in the public sector, but policymakers should strive to ensure that space is used as effectively as possible, to maximize the value for taxpayers. All states utilize a combination of owned and leased spaces to satisfy their facility needs. Owned properties include all kinds of land and buildings, while leased properties are mostly office space. As of 2015, Massachusetts leases just over 7.2 million square feet of space, primarily office space, which it occupies in addition to its own facilities.[1] This is above average among New England states when analyzed on a gross square footage (GSF) […]