Audit of the Baker Hill Road District Overview of Audited Entity

This section describes the makeup and responsibilities of the Baker Hill Road District.

Overview

The Baker Hill Road District (BHRD) was formed in 1989 in response to a home rule petition¹ filed by the Town of Lanesborough. BHRD’s scope of authority was expanded by Chapter 47 of the Acts of 2018 to include engaging in economic development (e.g., developing, maintaining, or managing buildings or facilities). The district is overseen by a three-member prudential committee, which consists of two members appointed by the Town of Lanesborough and another member appointed by the owners of property in BHRD. The members serve for one, two, or three years. The committee has the power to appoint a treasurer for BHRD, who cannot be a sitting member of the prudential committee. The committee meets monthly, but it is only required to meet twice a year.

BHRD’s purpose is to own, monitor, and maintain US-7/SR-8 Connector Road (formerly Berkshire Mall Drive), and BHRD has the autonomy to purchase goods and services to help maintain the road. Road maintenance, police details, and fire and emergency services are provided by the Town of Lanesborough, and the costs are reimbursed by BHRD. Revenue to pay for the district’s operations is derived from taxes levied on the property owners in BHRD. During fiscal years 2019 and 2020, BHRD had total budgets of $772,411 and $788,519 respectively.

1.    Cities and towns in Massachusetts can submit home rule petitions to the Legislature to request new regulations specific to themselves or to make changes to their charters. City or town residents must vote on such petitions before they are submitted to the Legislature.

Date published:	March 24, 2022