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An article in The Atlantic recently suggested that the drop in violent crime, hitting a low not seen since the 1960s, may just be the result of a massive infusion of federal funds to cities and towns through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The article arrived as local leaders met in Boston for the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s annual conference, and they braced for a fiscal storm on the horizon. State aid is expected to increase by a modest amount – Gov. Maura Healey has proposed a 2.5% increase in unrestricted aid, below the 26.5% local leaders had argued would make up for years of funding below inflation.
And the days of plentiful federal funding, as the country crawled out of a pandemic, is in the rearview mirror. “A lot of cities used these monies for universal basic income. They used it to provide food security. They used it to expand housing production. They used it to increase educational access and recreational access in their communities, and more. Clean drinking water,” said Adam Chapdelaine, head of the MMA. “All those things, they all make people's lives better.”
Clarence Anthony, a former mayor of South Bay in Florida who now serves as CEO of the National League of Cities, spoke at the MMA’s conference.
“If you think back three or four years ago, crime, like housing is now, was one of the number one things that most municipal leaders wanted to take on,” he said. “We know what's best in our local communities, and we focus on those things to be able to address those challenges.”
Anthony and Chapdelaine sat down with MASSterList inside the Boston convention center named for the late Mayor Tom Menino during a break in the MMA’s annual meeting. We discussed the partnership with the federal government, or lack thereof, the challenges facing local governments, and how incivility is a top problem. The interview, which took place Friday, before U.S. immigration agents killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis amid an ongoing federal crackdown, was condensed and edited for clarity.
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HAPPENING TODAY
9:00 | Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meets. The board plans to discuss and vote upon goals for K-12 Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez for the spring of 2026. The board will also vote on regulatory changes to the Seal of Biliteracy and updates to the definition of "transcript" in the Regulations on Student Records. | 135 Santilli Highway, Everett | Agenda & Access
10:15 | The Cannabis Control Commission holds a public meeting. Agenda includes comments and updates from the commissioner and an executive director and commission staff report on 2025 goals. Chair Shannon O'Brien and Commissioner Kimberly Roy are slated to give an update on the Red Tape Removal Working Group. | Agenda and Access
12:00 | Auditor Diana DiZoglio joins “Boston Public Radio” for a live interview. | Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston St., Boston
2:30 | The Massachusetts chapter of the Sierra Club holds a press conference calling for the removal of Rep. Mark Cusack as chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy. House Speaker Ron Mariano called the move “foolish.” Cusack, who was tapped as TUE chair this session, has said lawmakers are reevaluating the state's climate and emissions mandates amid federal actions that have impeded that state's transition to clean energy. Organizers say Sierra Club’s Vick Mohanka will be joined by Evan MacKay, a member of the group’s executive committee and a candidate for a House seat currently held by Cambridge Rep. Marjorie Decker. The press conference will be live-streamed on the group's Facebook and Instagram. | State House steps, Boston
3:00 | Special Commission on the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution meets. Agenda includes an update from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. | Agenda and Livestream
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Program Officer for American Institutions, Society, and the Public Good — NEW!, American Academy of Arts & Sciences |
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Hotline Counsel Fellowship, Reproductive Equity Now |
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Director of Communities and Toxics, Conservation Law Foundation |
Regional Field Organizer, Taxpayers for an Affordable Massachusetts |
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THE CASE OF THE MYSTERIOUS MOULTON POSTS
The appearance of several Seth Moulton for Senate events on a website linked to the Human Rights Campaign, a LGBTQ+ advocacy group, raised eyebrows in Massachusetts political circles over the weekend.
The promotions of several Moulton campaign events in Belmont, Lawrence, Granby, and Natick under HRC’s banner on the Mobilize platform “shocked” Tanya Neslusan, the executive director of MassEquality. Moulton is waging a primary campaign against longtime incumbent Sen. Ed Markey.
A HRC spokesperson called it a “tech issue,” not limited to Moulton events. The posts were removed.
“As it looked to me, it wasn’t just that they were using the HRC banner, they were using the HRC interface. They have not endorsed in this race and they have not reached out to any advocacy organizations in Massachusetts, where HRC is not active,” Neslusan said. (MassEquality does not endorse on the federal level.)
Moulton has a 100% rating from HRC’s Congressional scorecard, but his post-election comments in 2024 drew a backlash when he said, “I have two little girls, I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete.”
Advocates and others pushed back on his remarks, saying voters were angry about bread-and-butter issues, not who can play a sport.
FROM BEACON HILL
HEALEY’S REBUKE: Gov. Maura Healey said President Trump’s homeland security chief Kristi Noem must resign and accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of attempted extortion in the aftermath of federal immigration agents killing ICU nurse Alex Pretti. – MassLive
MASSHEALTH COSTS: Ahead of Gov. Maura Healey’s release of her fiscal year 2027 budget proposal, the $22 billion program known as MassHealth will see an increase, but plans a “rate freeze.” – State House News Service
Mass General Brigham is committed to world-class care backed by the latest advances in medical research. Innovation across our system delivers the best possible outcomes and enhances the patient experience.
NEWS NEXT DOOR
WORLD CUP EXPENSES: The MBTA could get millions of dollars ahead of the World Cup matches in Massachusetts as Congress moves a spending bill geared towards helping transit agencies cover the costs of the event. – Boston Globe
1ST FRANKLIN: Corinne Coryat, who served as an aide to former Rep. Natalie Blais, has announced a run for her ex-boss’s seat. – Western Mass. Politics & Insight
BROOKLINE SCHOOLS: The fiscal 2027 budget could bring a $6.5 million gap for Brookline schools, smaller than expected as the town has provided some additional funding and district officials have cut back on some expenses. – Brookline.News
ICED OUT: Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said the department ignored dozens of requests in 2025 from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain immigrants as the agency ramped up a crackdown that has led to the deaths of U.S. citizens in Minnesota. – Boston Globe
AI COALITION: A new group to back artificial intelligence companies in Massachusetts held one of its first meetings inside a Tesla showroom in Boston’s Back Bay. – MassLive
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JOB BOARD
Do you have an open job you'd like to feature here? Click here to place a job board order, or email Dylan Rossiter at [email protected].
Campaign Operations & Fundraising Assistant, Rick Jakious for Congress
Fiscal Coordinator, Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance
Lending Associate, Massachusetts Housing Partnership
Director, Bureau of Program Integrity, Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General
Executive Director, Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition
District Director, Office of Boston City Council President Liz Breadon
Policy Director, Office of Boston City Council President Liz Breadon
Transportation Engineer, Public Works, City of Newton
Senior HR Manager for Training & DEI Programs, Mass Gaming Commission
Senior Economic Justice Attorney with Focus on Safety Net Programs, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Research Associate, Worcester Regional Research Bureau
Human Resources Assistant, Town of Acton
Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General
Treasury Manager, Massachusetts Housing Partnership
