Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The Legislature yesterday passed a bill that would leverage interest from the state’s rainy day fund to improve the competitive position of the state and its municipalities for federal dollars.
Gov. Maura Healey had proposed the plan in a bill she filed last October to create a Commonwealth Federal Matching and Debt Reduction Fund as a funding source for the state and communities across the Commonwealth to help meet the required local match for grants. She proposed using up to $750 million in interest generated annually by the state’s stabilization fund, but the bill approved by the Legislature set the maximum annual contribution at about $250 million.
The Legislature’s bill would also authorize up to $50 million to support municipal and regional project matching requirements in federal grant applications. The bill also includes $12 million for technical assistance to help municipalities with grant tracking, grant writing and implementation.
The Senate had approved its version of a federal funds bill on Jan. 11, and the House passed its bill on Feb. 28. The MMA strongly supported the legislation and testified before the House Committee on Federal Stimulus and Census Oversight. A House-Senate conference committee recently released a compromise bill.
The state’s Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office is already available to support municipalities as they consider, apply for and implement various federal funding initiatives. The office is leading the Massachusetts Federal Funds Partnership, which meets monthly to provide information about upcoming grant opportunities and other federal funds topics.
The Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office created a Federal Grant Intake Form for Local Governments for communities to notify the office of in-progress or submitted federal grant applications, as well as projects that could be eligible for federal funding. Additional information for municipalities is available on the office’s website, and questions or requests can be directed to FedFundsInfra@mass.gov.