City & Town Newsletters

This article serves as a welcoming guide for newly elected or appointed local officials in Massachusetts, providing essential resources, training, and information on municipal finance to assist them in their transition into public service. It highlights the support offered by the Division of Local Services (DLS) and encourages both new and experienced officials to utilize the available tools and resources for effective governance.

Impact of Verizon Settlement FY2023 - 2027 on centrally valued telephone values.

This article report results from treasurer and collector submissions to the Bureau of Accounts and includes updates on financial information of interest to local officials.

This article discusses the Community Preservation Act (CPA) in Massachusetts, detailing how it establishes a Community Preservation Fund for local cities and towns to support open space, historic resources, and community housing, while also examining recent trends in real estate activity and their impact on funding levels for the state trust fund. It highlights the fluctuations in mortgage rates, housing inventory, and sales, which have influenced contributions to the CPA and the expected distributions for future fiscal years.

This article highlights the property tax abatement process and helpful resources related to the topic.

This article highlights the importance of teamwork in tax rate setting, emphasizing the submission of a "Tax Rate Recapitulation Sheet" to the DLS' Bureau of Accounts. It provides resources to assist financial management teams in completing the annual tax rate process efficiently.

This article provides helpful information and analysis related to Fiscal Year 2026 Local Receipts. Local Receipts are defined as locally generated revenues, other than real and personal property taxes. It reviews data from previous fiscal years up to FY2026.

This article provides helpful information and analysis related to Local Receipts. Local Receipts are defined as locally generated revenues, other than real and personal property taxes. It reviews data from previous fiscal years up to Fiscal Year 2025.

This article is Part 1 in a two-part series related to new growth, the dollar increase in the annual levy limit that reflects additional tax revenue generated by new construction, renovations and other increases in the property tax base during a calendar year. It provides general information related to calculations and links to helpful resources related to the subject.

This article is Part 2 in a two-part series related to new growth, the dollar increase in the annual levy limit that reflects additional tax revenue generated by new construction, renovations and other increases in the property tax base during a calendar year. It reviews New Growth data and analyzes recent trends.