DLS CIty & Town 2

Update on FY2021 Local Aid Distributions and Assessments

Administration & Finance Secretary Michael J. Heffernan

I am writing to share that the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Local Aid distributions will be updated to reflect the recently announced Chapter 70 and UGGA floors and updated Assessments. As you are aware, the July and August local aid distributions reflected level-funding of both Local Aid and Assessments. Beginning with the September monthly local aid distribution, Assessments will be updated to reflect projected FY21 assessment levels. As you are familiar with, some of these programs, specifically School Choice, Charter Tuition, and Special Education assessments will be updated as data becomes available. Click here to view the projected FY21 assessments for your community.

(Please note: The above text was originally published as a DLS Alert on Thursday, September 10th, 2020.)

New DLS Video Gives Informational Help on TELPs

Frank Gervasio - DLS Director of Special Initiatives

We’ve recently added a new video presentation to the Municipal Finance Training and Resource Center providing an overview of Tax-Exempt Lease Purchases (TELPs). TELPs are tools municipalities can use to finance the acquisition of equipment or improvement of a capital asset. The presentation identifies common uses of TELPs, describes how the agreements work, and walks through how they are adopted at the local level.

For more information, this Informational Guideline Release from the Bureau of Accounts regarding TELPs is also available online. Additional resources about financing your community’s capital plan can also be found on the Training and Resource Center.

Be sure to bookmark the Municipal Finance Training and Resource Center page and subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay updated on new items. Something you'd like to see added? We'd love to hear from you! Please email me at gervsaiof@dor.state.ma.us.

Coronavirus Relief Fund: Municipal Reporting Deadline is Friday, September 25

The Commonwealth has made up to $502 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) dollars available to municipalities for COVID-19 related expenses (not including Boston or the municipalities of Plymouth County, as both received a direct CRF payment from the federal government).

In anticipation of federal reporting requirements for all CRF recipients, the Executive Office for Administration and Finance (A&F) is requiring all municipalities which have received CRF dollars to report their CRF activity to the Commonwealth.

The first report, for relevant expenses incurred between 3/1/2020 – 6/30/2020, must be submitted to A&F by 4:00 PM on Friday, September 25. Further reports will be required quarterly.

CRF recipients must:

1. Download the “CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund - Municipal Program Report Template” from the DLS website

2. Complete the reporting template, including all grants, loans, transfers, and direct payments obligated or expended using CRF funds during the reporting period

3. Upload the completed template to the online web portal

Program contacts for municipalities that have received funding have been sent an email with the above information and detailed instructions for completing and submitting the template.

Please also note that information on the second round of funding for the CRF Municipal Program will be provided in late September. For specific inquiries or more information, please contact Brendan Sweeney by email at Brendan.S.Sweeney@mass.gov or by phone at 857-338-0011.