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Click on the names of the towns above to go to that town's
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In this Issue...
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Legislative News
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District News
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·
Senate Votes on County Sheriffs
Reform Bill to Create Financial Efficiency and Stability, Save Taxpayers
Millions
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Senate Votes to
Preserve Affordable Housing and Protect Low-Income Tenants
·
Legislature Passes Bill
Maximizing Federal Stimulus Funds for the Commonwealth
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·
Ocean Management Plan Moves Forward
·
William Dalton Memorial Bridge Project Moves
Forward
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Congratulations to
Plymouth Resident, Antonio
Ruggerio
·
Looking for More Information and Daily Updates?
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At the State House
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Senate
Votes on County Sheriffs Reform Bill to Create Financial Efficiency and
Stability, Save Taxpayers Millions
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The Senate and House passed final legislation that could save
taxpayers up to $8 million a year by transferring the remaining seven county
sheriffs’ offices to the state payroll and state health insurance plan.
The bill is designed to promote a more efficient delivery of services
between state and county governments and is the latest in a string of
reforms recently passed by the Legislature.
This reform takes away the current operational guessing game that
county sheriffs go through every year when developing their budgets.
It’s an important functional change that will simplify and stabilize
the process and end up saving taxpayers millions of dollars.
The bill, “An Act Transferring County Sheriffs to the Commonwealth,”
moves the Bristol, Norfolk, Suffolk, Plymouth, Barnstable, Nantucket
and Dukes county sheriffs’ offices to the state payroll and the state
Group Insurance Commission (GIC), which will provide sheriffs’
employees with more affordable health care.
The consensus bill also addresses concerns about the original
proposal that left counties with a sizeable unfunded liability by
leaving retired sheriffs’ employees in the county retirement systems.
The new version allows counties to apply their annual corrections
Maintenance of Effort (MOE) assessment to offset these unfunded
liabilities.
Once these liabilities are paid off, the MOE assessment will be
abolished, saving the counties millions of dollars and ultimately
providing tax relief to local county taxpayers. Sheriffs’ office
retirees and current employees will be moved into the GIC to provide
savings on health insurance costs.
Furthermore, the consensus bill adopts language to protect member
communities from increased pension funding costs as a result of the
transfer. This would be accomplished by giving the county retirement
board the ability to address any shortfalls in available funding, for
example, by extending its pension funding schedule and in certain
circumstances retaining a greater percentage of deeds excise revenue to
pay down liabilities.
The final legislation also removes the $30,000 in pay raises for the
Dukes and Nantucket sheriffs that were included in the original
proposal. Instead, the Dukes County Sheriff’s annual salary remains
$97,000 and the Nantucket County Sheriff, who does not oversee a house
of correction, will see his pay reduced by approximately one third of
his current salary.
The final bill also does the following:
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Sheriffs’ salaries will no longer be
tied to that of an associate superior court judge. In the future,
sheriffs will earn their pay raises based on merit;
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It eliminates the current practice of
supplementing the Nantucket County Sheriff’s salary by allowing him to
keep an estimated $15,000 to $20,000 per year in civil process fees.
Those fees will now go toward funding the operations of the sheriff’s
office, saving state taxpayers money;
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It also eliminates the existing County
Finance Review Board.
Finally, this bill creates a commission to investigate the possible
consolidation, elimination or realignment of certain sheriffs’ offices
and the potential cost savings. It will be organized with the intention
of taking a broader look at the operations within the sheriffs’ offices
and report on the efficiencies that can be gained.
The bill would go into effect January 1, 2010. It now goes to the
Governor for his signature.
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Senate Votes to Preserve Affordable Housing and Protect
Low-Income Tenants
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Affordable housing has always been an important part of keeping a
viable workforce and quality of life in Massachusetts. Now, with our
current economic conditions, we have an even greater responsibility to
make sure affordable housing stays available.
That is why the Senate passed legislation to preserve the stock of
publicly-assisted affordable housing units across the state and protect
the rights of tenants by implementing earlier notification standards
for property owners and establishing a non-partisan advisory board
representing tenants, property owners, municipalities and preservation
experts to work with the state in developing future regulations.
The bill targets the state’s estimated 90,000 government-assisted
rental housing units, including so called "expiring use"
units whose affordability restrictions can end by owners prepaying
their subsidized mortgages or not renewing their rent assistance contracts
upon expiration. Massachusetts is at risk of losing more than 23,000
units by the end of 2012. Many of the residents in “expiring use”
buildings are seniors or people with disabilities.
The Senate legislation establishes provisions that will help preserve
as many units as possible. It requires owners who want to sell
affordable rental property to offer a purchasing right-of-first-refusal
to the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) or the
local municipality where the property is located.
The bill implements a string of notification requirements also aimed
at preserving affordability and protecting tenants. They include the
following:
• Written notice must be given at least two years prior to the
affordability restriction’s termination;
• Written notice of intent to complete termination must be given at
least one year before termination;
• Owners must give notice of intent to sell the property; and
• Owners, upon notice of intent to sell, must make documents,
including architectural plans, capital expenses and the number of
vacancies available for review by DHCD to help determine property value
and purchasing options.
The legislation further ensures the protection of tenants by
preventing unfair rent increases for three years after the termination
of affordability restrictions and forbidding no-fault evictions.
Finally, to oversee compliance with the bill and secure future
safeguards, the bill gives DHCD authority to establish a 13-member
advisory committee consisting of housing advocates, municipal
representatives, developers and the real estate bar that will provide
regulatory advice and recommendations.
The bill now awaits further action in the House of Representatives.
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Legislature Passes Bill Maximizing Federal Stimulus Funds
for the Commonwealth
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The Senate and House recently finalized economic recovery
legislation allowing the Commonwealth to maximize the benefits of federal
stimulus funding to continue important infrastructure projects, create
jobs and spur long-term economic growth. The Governor is expected to
sign the bill.
The bill assures that Massachusetts will meet the strict
requirements and deadlines for using the federal stimulus money
provided through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009.
With this legislation, we are making sure there aren’t any missed
opportunities for Massachusetts. We need this money to help keep our
economy going in this difficult recession and build a foundation for
future growth. We also take necessary steps to make sure proper
oversight is in place for a transparent and accurate account of all
federal taxpayer dollars.
The main components of the bill, unanimously approved by the state
Legislature, include the following:
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Secures $186 million in clean water and
drinking water grants for the Commonwealth by authorizing the
Massachusetts Water Pollution Abatement Trust to lower a key interest
rate for financial assistance;
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Makes the state eligible for $108
million in unemployment insurance funds by extending unemployment
benefits from 18 to 26 weeks for individuals participating in a
training program;
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Updates state procurement procedures;
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Ensures efficient and transparent accounting
and reporting of all project funding;
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Requires that state positions created by
projects funded through the federal act are paid with federal stimulus
money only;
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Requires equitable distribution of
funding to ensure participation by all businesses, including minority
and women-owned businesses and small businesses; and
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Promotes apprenticeship training
programs.
The Legislature included a provision in the final legislation that
requires a bi-monthy report from the Administration on the progress of
all federal stimulus projects in the state. Another added provision
makes construction companies that are disbarred by the federal
government, the Commonwealth or any other state ineligible to
participate in federal stimulus projects.
In anticipation of approximately $8.7 billion in total federal
stimulus money for Massachusetts, the Senate and House in February
formed a special committee to oversee and review state spending of
federal stimulus funding. The temporary Joint Committee on Federal
Stimulus Oversight acts on behalf of the Legislature to coordinate
efforts with the Administration to make the most of federal assistance
for Massachusetts.
The special legislative committee has the ability to hold hearings
on federal stimulus plans, audit expenditures, and report back
periodically to the House and Senate. The committee will also review
current state laws, regulations and policies, and make recommendations
regarding changes that will allow Massachusetts to access additional
funding or spend money more quickly to stimulate the economy.
The amount of aid flowing out of Washington, nearly $800 billion
total for all 50 states, is in many ways unprecedented. Through the
work of the Administration, Legislature and others, Massachusetts is
now well-positioned to utilize its funding allotment quickly and
efficiently to finish projects, stimulate local economies and create
jobs.
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District News
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Ocean
Management Plan Moves Forward
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Our oceans and coastline are a significant part of the economy,
history, and identity of Commonwealth. The ocean is the last great
undeveloped stretch of state territory, and it is essential that we
treat the ocean with the consideration we treat our land.
It is alarming to think that while we have well-established laws for
planning how we use our land, development regulations for our oceans
are uncharted territory. That is why we passed legislation that would
put in place guidelines to manage its territorial waters and ensure a
public voice and state oversight of development projects.
This legislation is the first of its kind in the nation, and again
all eyes are on Massachusetts to see what we will put in place to
manage our last great frontier. When we passed this legislation, we
were determined that science and research would drive the
recommendations and decisions made about oceans management.
In July, the Executive Office of Energy and Evironment moved this
groundbreaking legislation forward by releasing a draft of the ocean
management plan.
I want to commend Secretary Bowles and his team for stepping up to
this challenge and for making the effort to ensure that this process is
inclusive and stakeholders are well informed.
Getting this right is about honoring our past and preparing for our
future.
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William
Dalton Memorial Bridge Project Moves Forward
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The Massachusetts Highway Department is moving forward on the William
Dalton Memorial Bridge restoration project. The replacement of the
William Dalton Memorial Bridge is important for both the Bourne and
Wareham communities. We have worked hard to move this project forward,
and I am pleased to see that this next step toward construction is in
place.
Before shovels go into the ground, MassHighway is required to
have a public hearing on the project, which will take place on August
12th at 7:00 p.m. in Wareham Town Hall.
The project would replace the current bridge with a new multi-span
bridge, and would raise the elevation of the roadway to comply with the
new bridge elevation.
If you would like to comment, but are unable to attend the hearing,
can be submitted to:
Frank A. Tramontozzi, P.E., Chief Engineer,
Massachusetts Highway Department
10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116
All written statements must be postmarked within 10 days of the
public hearing.
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Congratulations to Plymouth Resident, Antonio Ruggerio
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The Massachusetts Senate was privileged to honor decorated World War
II veteran Antonio “Tom” Ruggerio of Plymouth on July 16, 2009.
Mr. Ruggerio was a member of the 2nd Ranger Battalion in World War II
and took part in the Invasion of Normandy.
Before landing on D-Day, he was blown out of his landing craft, and
survived two hours in 42-degree water with enemy artillery exploding
around him. Still, he charged up Omaha Beach and climbed the cliffs of
the Pointe du Hoc, disabling the German canons and clearing the way for
the invasion into France.
He received two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars, the highest U.S.
military honors, for liberating France while being wounded twice. In
June, Sergeant Ruggiero was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by
the President of the French Republic, the highest civilian honor, for
extraordinary courage in liberating France.
The recognition that Sergeant Ruggiero received from both the United
States and French governments are testaments to his courageous service
protecting freedom at home and abroad.
Thank you to Tom and all of our service members, past and present
for their commitment, dedication and heroism.
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Looking
for More Information and Daily Updates?
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If you are interested in keeping up to the minute on what the Senate
is working on, make sure to check me out on Facebook, or on my website
at www.ThereseMurray.com.
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What
People are Saying About Senate President Murray
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"... thank you and your fine staff for moving the replacement
of the Dalton Street Bridge ahead toward reconstruction.This bridge... is
a critical component of the larger north end of Main Street
rehabilitation effort now in the planning stages. - Tom
Moccia, member of the Board of Directors of the Buzzards Bay Villiage
Association
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