Turning Municipal Language into Resident-Ready Information 

Municipalities regularly communicate about topics that are technical by nature, including budgets, tax limits, ballot questions such as Proposition 2½, fee changes, grant funding, and capital planning. When residents struggle to understand these materials, the issue is often not the complexity of the topic, but how the information is presented. Too often, public-facing communication relies on internal terminology and data without providing clear context. 

The goal of simple municipal writing is not to remove detail. It is to translate technical information into plain language so residents can understand what is changing, why it is changing, and how it affects them. When that translation is missing, misunderstandings increase and municipalities face greater demand on staff time to address recurring questions. 

What Clear Municipal Translation Looks Like 

Lead with the takeaway: Begin with a clear sentence that states the purpose of the communication and its relevance to residents. 

• Example: “We are proposing a budget update to maintain current service levels and address rising costs.” 

Define technical terms once, in plain language, and use them consistently — 

• Example: “Proposition 2½ is a Massachusetts law that limits how much a city or town’s property tax levy can increase each year.” 

Organize the explanation into three parts: 

1. What it is 
2. How it works 
3. What it means for residents 

Translate numbers into meaning: Pair figures with context, including cost drivers, timelines, tradeoffs, and service impacts. 

• Example: “This increase reflects higher health insurance costs and helps maintain current staffing levels and response times.” 

Use visuals to support understanding: Simple charts, graphs, icons, and infographics help break down complex information, highlight key comparisons, and make data easier to scan. Visuals are especially effective for showing trends over time, how funding is allocated, and what changes from one year to the next. 

Use concrete service examples: Connect decisions to visible outcomes like roads, schools, staffing, parks, trash pickup, snow removal, library hours, inspections, and response times. 

Add a short glossary: A “Quick Definitions” box improves accessibility and reduces follow-up questions (for example: levy, override, capital vs. operating, enterprise fund, debt service).