According to a recent news item from the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA), Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey recently signed a bill to leverage interest from the state’s rainy day fund to improve the competitive position of the state and its municipalities for federal dollars.
The governor had proposed the plan in a bill she filed last October to create a Commonwealth Federal Matching and Debt Reduction Fund as a funding source for the state and communities across the Commonwealth to help meet the required local match for grants. She proposed using up to $750 million in interest generated annually by the state’s stabilization fund, but the bill approved by the Legislature set the maximum annual contribution at about $250 million.
The law also authorizes up to $50 million to support municipal and regional project matching requirements in federal grant applications and includes $12 million for technical assistance to help municipalities with grant tracking, grant writing and implementation.
The state’s Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office is already available to support municipalities as they consider, apply for and implement various federal funding initiatives. The office is leading the Massachusetts Federal Funds Partnership, which meets monthly to provide information about upcoming grant opportunities and other federal funds topics.
The Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office created a Federal Grant Intake Form for Local Governments for communities to notify the office of in-progress or submitted federal grant applications, as well as projects that could be eligible for federal funding. Additional information for municipalities is available on the office’s website, and questions or requests can be directed to FedFundsInfra@mass.gov.
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