Oversight Agencies
These entities are responsible for providing an impartial venue for individuals who wish to appeal the decisions of certain state or municipal agencies.
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The Civil Service Commission is a quasi-judicial agency whose mission is to hear and decide appeals of public employees under the protection of civil service laws by ensuring that employment decisions are based on the relative ability, knowledge and skills of the public employee, and to ensure that all individuals receive fair and impartial treatment.
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DALA is an independent agency established by the legislature to provide a neutral forum for hearing any case in which one has the right to appeal the decision of another state agency. Cases come to DALA in two ways: by legislation mandating that certain types of cases be heard at DALA, and upon request of an agency, subject to the approval of the DALA Chief Magistrate and the Secretary of Administration and Finance. DALA's mission is to provide for fair, impartial and timely decisions, and to assist the parties in limiting and consolidating issues to streamline the proceedings at DALA, limit appeals to Superior Court, and expedite the proceedings in those cases which are appealed.
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The Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board is a quasi-judicial state agency designed to conduct hearings and render decisions on appeals of all types of state and local taxes, including property tax (both real estate and personal property), corporate excise, individual income tax, sales and use tax, and automobile and other excises. The Appellate Tax Board is committed to maintaining an appeal process which is fair, understandable and accessible to all litigants, including pro se taxpayers, and which resolves tax appeals in an expeditious fashion.
