Women Elected Municipal Officials, a group within the MMA’s membership, is seeking nominations for its 2027 Steering Committee. Any woman mayor, select board member, or city or town councillor in Mass...

The MMA today published the October 2026 issue of The Beacon, which features coverage of the latest news affecting local government on topics including legislative and fiscal issues, grant opportuniti...

The duplex pilot program is simple: combine attainable homeownership with affordable renting.

The ballot initiative would allow single-family homes to be built on residential lots as small as 5,000 square feet. Developers and some progressive groups say that will help first-time buyers. But ot...

This week, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey threw her support behind a November ballot question that would override local zoning ordinances to allow homes to be built on small lots across the Commonwea...

LOWELL — Just over a year after the project broke ground, officials celebrated the completion of a 37-unit housing project on Middlesex Street Wednesday morning as the city continues to add to its hou...

EASTHAMPTON — As seniors and other vulnerable residents lose thousands of dollars to cryptocurrency scams, Easthampton has joined a growing list of Massachusetts communities fighting back — voting una...

ANDOVER — Glimpses of the town’s past and present have come together through the eyes of a local photographer.

Coastal towns in Massachusetts are urging residents and boat owners to prepare for a potential storm by securing property and taking safety measures.

Wilmington wants to slam the door on hyperscale AI data centers. A public hearing is set for Sept. 29.

Writing for the court, Justice Serge Georges Jr. dismissed Marshfield’s contention that the law creates an unfunded local mandate.

Local officials, planners, and government employees are invited to the Massachusetts Municipal Lawyers Association’s Annual Conference on Oct. 1 and 2 in New Bedford. Program panels include: • Dealing with Challenging Public Records Requests, Appeals and Attorneys’ Fees • Lessons for Municipal Attorneys and Local Officials From the Recently Decided Emerald Isle v. Boston Case…

The Healey-Driscoll administration on Sept. 3 announced $278 million in state and federal financing and tax credits for housing development in 20 communities across Massachusetts. Gov. Maura Healey said the awards, made possible by the Affordable Homes Act, will create more than 2,500 new homes. Financing and tax credits were awarded to Athol, Boston, Brockton,…

The MMA and its partner in the MunEnergy program, Constellation, will host a free webinar on Oct. 20 to provide an energy market update. Experts from Constellation will review: • The Constellation Weather Desk Winter Forecast: What does a potential Super El Niño mean for temperatures this winter? • An update on impacts of war…

Applications are now being accepted for two funding opportunities available to communities: the Municipal Fleet Safety Grant Program and the Stormwater MS4 Municipal Assistance Grant Program. Municipal Fleet Safety Grant Program The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is accepting applications through Oct. 30 for its Municipal Fleet Safety Grant Program, a new $1 million grant opportunity…

Women Elected Municipal Officials will host a webinar for all MMA members on Oct. 8 to discuss the administration of the November elections. A panel of municipal and state election officials, along with representatives of non-governmental organizations, will provide insights on resident engagement and the sharing of election information and voter resources. Discussion topics will…

The MMA will hold its fall series of Legislative Breakfast Meetings next month in Great Barrington, Leicester, Lowell, Needham, Northampton and Westport. The MMA’s Legislative Breakfast Meetings are held each spring and fall in communities across the Commonwealth to give local leaders, legislators and MMA staff an opportunity to network in an informal setting to…

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities is looking for municipalities interested in identifying sites that could be developed into affordable housing at minimal cost. The office is now accepting statements of interest for the proposed Move-In MA initiative on a rolling basis. The state will rely on this feedback to evaluate the demand…

Two recent decisions by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court have addressed significant questions involving municipal authority over land, public purposes and local decision-making. In both cases, the MMA filed amicus curiae, or “friend of the court,” briefs, in support of the municipal position. The cases involve very different circumstances, but both decisions have important implications…

On Sept. 15, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Microtransit and Last-Mile Transit Grant Program announced four awards totaling $4.4 million. The new grant program supports projects that use microtransit, on-demand shared-ride services, and last-mile connections to link riders to transit hubs and key destinations through expanding flexible technology-enabled transit. Additional applications will be funded through…

CHESTERFIELD — In an empty meeting room at town offices, the Planning Board burned the midnight oil Monday night as they finalized a battery energy storage system, or Bess, bylaw that will be taken up...

HAVERHILL — A nearly $26.2 million price tag now hangs over Haverhill’s effort to rebuild its wastewater system after the summer sewage crisis.

Sutton officials are investigating a cybersecurity incident that affected parts of the town and school network environment. Services are still operating.

This October, the Department of Planning and Development will present two options for consideration by the City Council for regulating data centers in the city, part of an overhaul of Lowell’s outdate...

See who is funding each ballot question and how each side is faring in the money race.

Just 10 days after moving to Washington, D.C., for an internship, Katie McCue, ’03, found herself in the middle of a day that would forever change the United States — and her understanding of what she...

The insurance challenge for coastal states like Massachusetts has been a vexing one. Inflation and tariffs are scrambling rebuilding costs, and the rise in climate-driven natural disasters has contrib...

Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said he is authorizing the city to spend money meeting student needs and recovering systems, but all expenses are being tracked in hopes of federal or state reimburs...

North Adams already has the arts assets in museums, galleries and small businesses. A new three-year, $2.5 million pilot program aims to turn that into more foot traffic, filled storefronts

TRURO — The town has spent seven years — five of them in Land Court — trying to take a house at 18 Priest Road that has been condemned since […]

As students head back to school this fall, the Safe Routes to School program is offering several grant opportunities for schools and communities across the state. • Signs and Lines: This program will ...

Everett City Hall will also remain closed Wednesday and Thursday amid an ongoing "cybersecurity incident."