A new report looks at the budget crises facing 13 American cities, including Boston. Tough Decisions and Limited Options: How Philadelphia and Other Cities are Balancing Budgets in a Time […]
Municipal Government
Posted inPolitics
High-tech breakdown
INTRO TEXT the websites of federal, state, and municipal agencies and officials can serve as pipelines to the public, allowing citizens and government officials to interact in a convenient, cost-effective […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics, State House News Service
The shape of watts to come
Leonard Bicknell confesses that he’s a nut about consuming less energy, even if it costs him more to do so. Over the years, the South Shore heating oil dealer has […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion, Politics
The 85 percent solution
at a recent MassINC board meeting, we were discussing the achievement gap between students from wealthy versus poor school districts and how best to shrink it. I found myself saying […]
Posted inEconomy, Environment, Politics, The Download
In Chicago, “green jobs” are nothing new
Since President Obama’s campaign-trail promise to create 5 million new “green jobs,” there’s been a scramble among employers, job training programs, and whole business sectors to declare themselves “green,” and, […]
Posted inEducation
Spending spiral
INTRO TEXT EDITOR’S NOTE: Since the publication of this story, CommonWealth has learned that some of the information it presented was incomplete. For clarification, please go here. ONLINE FORUM: To […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
The difference between being governor and being mayor of a second-tier city
If you're Gov. Patrick, you spend a lot of your time trying to defend (or back-tracking from) actions that lead to bigger bankrolls for political allies. You may even lose […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Dead cat bounce: Heidi Erickson faces new animal cruelty charges in Plymouth
When last we saw Heidi Erickson back in 2003, the infamous former resident of Beacon Hill had been evicted from her Charles Street apartment after Boston city officials found 60 […]
Posted inEducation, Politics, The Download
Chatham and Harwich rekindle 49-year-old mating dance
The towns of Chatham and Harwich have received a $25,000 grant from the state to explore the possibility of merging their two school systems, reports Alan Pollock of the Cape […]
Posted inArts and Culture, Politics, The Download
Norton, Fitchburg now dead to state library board
Last week Norton became the 17th community in Massachusetts to lose certification for its library system, thanks to underfunding — specifically, a town meeting vote to cut funding by 33 […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Choosing between cops and library books in Springfield
The quote of the day, from Urban Compass: "I had to choose between keeping police on the streets, and books” — Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno Sarno announced the layoffs of […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, State House News Service, The Download
“Starting Line 2009” tackles DeLeo, State House scandals, and the bleak economy
Is new House Speaker Robert DeLeo really just "a hamburger guy", and are other members of the House no more than "sheep"? Do voters pay more attention to public pension […]
Posted inEducation, Politics, The Download
Worcester’s trial balloon: Tax dorm rooms
Like almost every other Massachusetts municipality, Worcester is starved for revenue, and one city councilor has come up with a new source of tax dollars. From the Worcester Telegram’s Lisa […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Springfield budget cuts hit 311 phone line and CitiStat program
There's a widespread belief (or hope) that tough times can offer a "golden opportunity" for government reform, but things may not be working out that way in Springfield. Urban Compass […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, The Download
The tax horse is out of the revenue barn
Gov Deval Patrick, who rode into office on a promise of reducing property taxes, has come full circle on the T-word with the stark realities of the economy smacking him […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Tough negotiations with firefighters’ union forecast in Haverhill
Here's another example of municipal officials trying to save money vs. public sector workers trying (like everyone else) to preserve their incomes in a tough economy. From the Eagle-Tribune's Shawn […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
New Bedford city councilors are not “complementary” potted plants
City politics in Boston are still pretty quiet, but there's plenty of bad blood in New Bedford, according to SouthCoastToday's Jack Spillane: Mayor [Scott] Lang recently described the council as existing […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Saugus reluctant to give up its small-town identity
Saugus may become the latest Bay State community to adopt a city form of government while refusing to call itself a city. (See Franklin, Watertown, and at least nine other […]
Posted inPolitics
Statistically significant
Illustrations by Travis Foster bridgewater’s town meeting bottoms out One of the largest communities in the Bay State that’s still governed by open town meetings may soon make the switch […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Winter weather already causing financial sinkholes for cities and towns
Friday, January 9, 2009 Unfortunately, depleted snow removal budgets don't seem to be a harbinger of spring this year. Rather, they're starting to appear well before Martin Luther King Jr. […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Patrick’s narrow ethics focus
Gov. Deval Patrick's task force on public integrity today unveiled legislation to toughen the state's ethics and lobbying laws, but it shied away from broader, more radical measures to address why corruption always […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, The Download
TIF makes no dif to Chelmsford’s budget woes
Thanks to the recession, cities and towns can no longer count on attracting employers with tax breaks. The Chelmsford Independent reports on the nasty surprise that confronted budget writers in […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Where local aid cuts may fall the heaviest
As the Boston Globe reported yesterday, House Speaker Sal DiMasi is predicting a cut of 5 percent to 10 percent in local aid, or funds from Beacon Hill to city […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, The Download
Older cars hurting municipal revenues
The soft market for automobiles is hurting state treasuries, as I noted earlier this week, but municipal governments are also feeling the pinch. The Patriot Ledger reported in May that local revenue from […]
