City & Town Newsletters

This article reviews the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission's (PERAC) 2024 report and discusses important indicators for the financial health of each retirement system.

In this article, Senior Deputy Commissioner Sean Cronin provides a glimpse into the metrics DLS uses to track progress both during and at the conclusion of the tax rate-setting season. It provides helpful data, context and resources that benefit local officials as they review their previous processes and prepare for the future.

This article serves as an overview of the motor vehicle excise process and provides helpful resources and tools for local officials, particularly local assessors.

This article is part of the 2025 New Officials edition. In it, the Bureau of Local Payments provides a helpful introduction to resources local officials to can use to follow state aid proposals throughout the budget process and track payments to local entities throughout the year.

This article discusses the unique challenges faced by rural assessing offices in Massachusetts, including staffing shortages and budget constraints, and highlights the establishment of a new position aimed at providing support and resources to improve assessment operations in these communities. It also explores potential collaborative solutions, such as intermunicipal agreements and the creation of Regional Boards of Assessors, to enhance efficiency and address the specific needs of rural municipalities.

This article analyzes PERAC’s January 1, 2025 List of Retirement Boards by Funded Ratio. It reviews the latest list for the 99 municipal systems only and determine how their metrics have changed from one year ago.

This article is a helpful notification related to the required FY2027 funding of COVID-19 spending deficits prior to or on the FY27 tax rate recap.

This article reviews Proposition 2½ election results as reported to the Division of Local Services in Fiscal Year 2025. In addition to providing current and historical data, it provides information related to overrides, underrides, debt exclusions, capital exclusions and other related topics.

This article welcomes new local assessment public officials in Massachusetts, outlining the role of the DLS Bureau of Local Assessment (BLA) in providing training, guidance, and support for property valuation and classification to ensure fair and equitable assessments in their communities. It highlights resources available for assessors, including training courses, webinars, and a YouTube channel for ongoing education in property valuation and municipal finance.

Analysis of the impact of snow and ice on general fund spending and the balance sheet.