MMA urges Federal Stimulus Committee to support federal funding competitiveness bill

The Honorable Representative Jack Patrick Lewis, Chair
The Honorable Representative Christopher Hendricks, Vice Chair
House Committee on Federal Stimulus and Census Oversight
State House, Boston

Delivered electronically

Dear Chair Lewis, Vice Chair Hendricks, and Distinguished Members of the Committee,

On behalf of all 351 cities and towns across the Commonwealth, I write today to express our strong support for S.2554, An Act to provide competitiveness and infrastructure investment in Massachusetts.

We are deeply appreciative of the efforts by the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Legislature to bridge all areas of government to focus our collective efforts to compete for the historic federal funding opportunities made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Chips and Science Act.

As you know, these federal funding opportunities are a gateway to innovation, resilient infrastructure, and support critical steps in our response to climate change.

We are grateful for the Legislature’s wise actions to move swiftly to mobilize all levels of government to ensure the Commonwealth is well-positioned to compete for federal funding. We further applaud the Administration’s establishment of the Commonwealth’s Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office and the foundational actions taken by the Office. In just four months, the Office has established a Massachusetts Federal Funds Partnership focusing attention on the needs of municipalities by hosting monthly informative calls, an online clearinghouse for available grants, establishing a simple process for communities to reach out to the office for support, report on active grant applications, request letters of support, and beyond.

Our municipalities know the significance of these funding opportunities and are eager to move forward with grant applications. Many have jumped into the process on their own or with the support of regional planning organizations. However, many are lacking in the support they need to apply, win, and administer these grants.

S. 2554 is the logical next step to support our collective efforts to win federal funds. By establishing the Commonwealth Federal Matching and Debt Reduction Fund, communities across the Commonwealth will have access to a reserved funding source that can be flexibly engaged to meet a grant’s required local match. With tightly capped property taxes, limitations on revenue generation and borrowing capacity, a dedicated fund to address local matching requirements is an essential support to ensure that funding for municipal projects is within reach with competitive grant applications.

This bill also proposes $12 million for local government technical assistance to help municipalities by providing the support our members have identified — help with grant tracking, grant writing, and implementation assistance.

With only two fiscal years left in the bulk of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorizations, the time is now to invest in the tools necessary to secure this once-in-a-generation funding. The funding made available by S. 2554 is the best way to do this.

My team and I are available to answer any questions the Committee may have or further discuss the benefits that this time-sensitive bill will enable for our municipalities. Please do not hesitate to have your office contact me, MMA Senior Executive and Legislative Director Dave Koffman at dkoffman@mma.org, or MMA Legislative Analyst Adrienne Núñez at anunez@mma.org at any time.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this important legislation, your attention to the needs of cities and towns, and your commitment to ensure that our communities thrive.

Sincerely,

Adam Chapdelaine
MMA Executive Director and CEO