The trade association that represents the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts unveiled an ambitious and costly wish list for Beacon Hill Thursday, featuring a sizeable and symbolic request to increase unrestricted local aid by $351 million.
The Massachusetts Municipal Association also wants to overhaul the parameters of Proposition 2 ½, enable greater shifts in commercial and residential property tax rates, and access a menu of local-option taxes included in Gov. Maura Healey’s Municipal Empowerment Act legislation.
“Reinvesting in flexible state aid is no longer prudent policy — it’s an urgent necessity,” a new MMA report says.
The recommendations follow the MMA’s October “Perfect Storm” report that examined pressures that inflation, spending demands and sluggish state aid are having

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