Pioneer Valley
Planning Commission

Eric Carle Museum, Amherst, MA

Media Release

CONTACT: Tim Brennan, PVPC Executive Director, (413) 781-6045


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 6, 2011

Municipal Aid Forum to Feature Boston Fed Study

The distribution of unrestricted municipal aid—a major concern to public officials and civic leaders throughout Massachusetts for decades—will be the focus of a forum Friday, January 14, 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.

The forum will feature the results of a new study recently completed by the Boston Fed’s New England Public Policy Center that examines the distribution of unrestricted municipal aid among Massachusetts cities and towns, including a special focus on the ten largest cities in the state. Based on a comprehensive set of findings, the study team, led by Bo Zhao, explores alternative methods for distributing municipal aid and lays out a recommended gap-based alternative that could be implemented on a phased multi-year basis, realizing many long-term beneficial effects.

The forum is sponsored by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, and the Plan for Progress.

To RSVP, please contact PVPC’s Indrani Gallagher at (413) 781-6045 or igallagher@pvpc.org.