Everywhere she goes in her city of 90,700 souls just west of Boston, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller hears the same stories.

“Everyone I meet is feeling anxious financially. Everyone goes to grocery stores, you walk out, and you’re gobsmacked at the cost of the goods in your grocery cart,” Fuller told MassLive. “Energy prices. Home insurance. It’s all just so darn expensive. They love living in Massachusetts, they love their towns and cities, and they can’t imagine having to pay more in taxes. It’s tough out there.”

Those stories go to the heart of a mounting fiscal challenge facing the Bay State’s cities and towns as costs continue to rise, tax revenues remain tight, and no relief is in sight.

Fuller sees it in her city. The cost of paving has tripled in less than a decade. Sure, she want

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