Fiscal Policy Update Mission

The Fiscal Policy Update Committee was formed when the biennial convention of The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts approved the restudy/update of fiscal policy position(s) in May 2005.

Motivation for Study

An increasing number of municipalities were experiencing budget crunches and discovering little room for either raising revenue or reducing spending due to fixed costs.  Several Leagues searched the current Fiscal Policy for positions that would allow action to be taken regarding different ideas towns and cities were exploring to help ease the crisis.  It was determined that several areas of the current Fiscal Policy needed to be restudied or updated in light of the current state of financial affairs specifically between the state and the municipalities.

Scope of the Study

The main goal of the committee is to evaluate how state government policies affect the fiscal situation of Massachusetts cities and towns. The study may include, but is not limited to so-called Proposition 2 ½, State Aid, and property taxes.

Committee Members

Zaxaro Bennett Marblehead, Co-Chair  Kathy Leonardson Marblehead, Co-Chair

Ernest Dieterich Winchester, Secretary         Mary Ann Ashton Acton

Cynthia Brubaker Amherst                                 Mary Frantz Chelmsford

Louise Haldeman Concord                                Merle Hyman Swampscott

Paulina Knibbe Acton Area                                Ruth Kohls Acton Area

June Michaels Cape Ann                                  Setha Olson Lexington

Judy Robbins Attleboro                                     Shelley Sackett Swampscott

Anne Schmalz Boston                                        Susan Sekuler Concord-Carlisle

Advisors / Resources to Committee

Lynn Cohen Westford

Judy Deutsch Sudbury

Debbie Ecker Chatham

Nancy Tavernier Acton

FPU Activities 2005-2008

2005                Beginning Meetings – Throughout the summer the Committee met while gathering data, newspaper articles and other documents to be reviewed, sorted and indexed.  The first meeting, held in September of 2005, found the Committee brainstorming ideas and breaking the subject matter into two major parts:  revenues and expenditures. 

2005 – 2006    Topical Meetings – These subjects were then divided up by the members and at each monthly meeting a new topic would be reported on by the respective member researching the area of interest.  Through this method, the Committee evaluated the relevance of each fiscal subject and defined the scope of the study.  Also, a timeline was developed to encompass the timing of Mass Voter articles, educational forums, local studies, and finally consensus meetings.

                        Planning Educational Forums – The Committee continued to research specific areas of both revenue and expenditures and began forming the outlines for educational forums to be presented in the winter of 2007.

2007                Two Forums – The Committee planned, wrote all materials, power point presentations and held to successful forums in Amherst and Boston in January of 2007.  Over 130 League Members from over 15 Leagues attended a forum in their area.

                        Local Study – The Committee prepared the materials and wrote sample questions as well as provided the local Leagues with a questionnaire to aid them in compiling data regarding their town or city.

                        Convention – An extension of the length of the Study was approved at Convention 2007.  This allowed the local Leagues time to plan to complete the Study over the summer.

                         Local Studies – The materials for the Local Study went out via email

Participating Towns – 20 Leagues participated in the Local Study, with reports generated for 21 towns or cities.

Fall Conference – The Committee planned and executed Fall Conference on October 13, 2007.  The Keynote speaker was John Hamill Chairman of the Municipal Finance Task Force and a panel of speakers consisting of Leslie Kirwan, Secretary of Administration and Finance, Geoffrey Beckwith, Executive Director of Massachusetts Municipal Association, Mayor John Barrett III of North Adams and Thomas Scott, Executive Director, Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents.

2008         Consensus Questions – The Consensus questions developed while the Local Leagues conducted their studies. The   Committee met to compile data and form the consensus questions.  The Committee Co-Chairs presented the questions for the

Consensus Meetings to Local Leagues.

Reading Committee

Members    Kathy Leonardson (Marblehead)

Zaxaro Bennett (Marblehead)

Mary Frantz (Chelmsford)

Judy Robbins (Attleboro)

Ernie Dieterich (Winchester)

Marilyn Peterson (Acton)

June Michaels (Cape Ann)