Some interesting items from the newly approved Municipal Modernization Act
Some may be good and others may be "good" for elected personnel but not so good for taxpayers.

Year-End Transfers (Sections 75-76)
Amends MGL c. 44 sec. 33B to eliminate the limits on types and amounts of appropriation transfers that can be made by the select board with finance committee approval at end of year. This allows end-of-fiscal-year transfers from health insurance, debt service or other unclassified/non-departmental line item appropriations and eliminates a cap of 3% on the amount that may be transferred from any department (school and light department line items remain exempt from this procedure). Eliminating the cap on transfers will provide for greater flexibility in avoiding deficits and precludes the need for additional town meetings by July 15 for minor transfers.



Joint/Cooperative Assessing, Classification and Valuation of Property (Section 54)
Amends Section 30B of chapter 41, which governs intermunicipal agreements regarding assessing services or functions by letting select boards establish these agreements rather than town meeting.


(might be time for a town charter process to begin)



Approval of Bills/Warrants (Sections 57-58)
Allows any multi-member boards, committees, and commissions heading departments, including select boards, to designate one of its members to review and approve bills or payment warrants, with a report provided at the next meeting. Currently, a board or committee heading a department may delegate authority to approve payrolls to a member, and a regional school committee may designate a subcommittee to approve bills and payrolls with a report to the next meeting of the full committee. Absent a charter or special act, boards and committees currently have to approve bills or payment warrants by majority vote at a meeting subject to the Open Meeting Law.


Schedule A Compliance (Section 110)
Improves compliance for municipal reporting by changing from October 1 to November 30 the annual deadline for cities and towns to submit the prior year's annual financial report. This also modifies the law to provide the intended consequence for noncompliance and withhold all future payments (regardless of fiscal year) until such time as the Schedule A is submitted and accepted.

Grant Anticipation Notes (Section 62)
Amends MGL c. 44 sec. 6, sec. 6A to allow municipalities to borrow in advance of any state or federal grant (advance or reimbursable).  (remember the play ground?)

Ten-Year BANs (Section 65)
Amends MGL c. 44, sec. 17 by increasing the maximum term for Bond Anticipation Notes from 5 years to 10 with the same required principal paydown as current law to provide treasurers greater flexibility in structuring debt, particularly for smaller purchases or projects.


posted by Jeff Bennett